A Numerical Study of Flow Past a Wall-Mounted Dolphin Dorsal Fin at Low Reynolds Numbers
Dolphin swimming has been a captivating subject, yet the dorsal fin’s hydrodynamics remain underexplored. In this study, we conducted three-dimensional simulations of flow around a wall-mounted dolphin dorsal fin derived from a real dolphin scan. The NEK5000 (spectral element method) was employed wi...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Biomimetics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/9/11/682 |
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| Summary: | Dolphin swimming has been a captivating subject, yet the dorsal fin’s hydrodynamics remain underexplored. In this study, we conducted three-dimensional simulations of flow around a wall-mounted dolphin dorsal fin derived from a real dolphin scan. The NEK5000 (spectral element method) was employed with a second-order hex20 mesh to ensure high simulation accuracy and efficiency. A total of 13 cases were simulated, covering angles of attack (AoAs) ranging from <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mn>0</mn><mo>°</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> to <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mn>60</mn><mo>°</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> and Reynolds numbers (Re) between 691 and 2000. Our results show that both drag and lift increase significantly with the AoA. Almost no vortex was observed at <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>AoA</mi><mo>=</mo><msup><mn>0</mn><mo>°</mo></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, whereas complex vortex structures emerged for <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>AoA</mi><mo>≥</mo><msup><mn>30</mn><mo>°</mo></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, including half-horseshoe, hairpin, arch, and wake vortices. This study offers insights that can inform the design of next-generation underwater robots, heat exchangers, and submarine sails. |
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| ISSN: | 2313-7673 |