A Hydrodynamic Study of the Oscillation Motion in Swimming

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the quasi-static assumption—that fluid forces exerted under unsteady flow conditions are equal to those exerted under similar steady flow conditions—in the case of a cylindrical model oscillating in a vertical plane about a transverse axis normal to the flow. The findings indicated that the quasi-static approach is applicable only to cyclic motions with low frequencies and small accelerations. For swimming motions that involve high frequencies and high accelerations, like those that occur in competitive swimming, the vortex shedding effect and the added mass effect must be taken into account if accurate values are to be obtained for hydrodynamic forces.