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Main Authors: Lin, Zhonglu, Gao, An-Kang, Zhang, Yu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.04147
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author Lin, Zhonglu
Gao, An-Kang
Zhang, Yu
author_facet Lin, Zhonglu
Gao, An-Kang
Zhang, Yu
contents Dolphin swimming has been a captivating area of study, yet the hydrodynamics of the dorsal fin remain underexplored. In this study, we present three-dimensional simulations of flow around a wall-mounted dolphin dorsal fin, derived from a real dolphin scan. The NEK5000 (spectral element method) is employed with a second-order hex20 mesh to ensure high accuracy and computational efficiency in the simulations. A total of 13 cases were simulated, covering angles of attack (AoA) ranging from $0^\circ$ to $60^\circ$ and Reynolds numbers ($\text{Re}$) between 691 and 2000. Our results show that both drag and lift increase significantly with the AoA. Almost no vortex is observed at $\text{AoA} = 0^\circ$, whereas complex vortex structures emerge for $\text{AoA} \geq 30^\circ$, including half-horseshoe, hairpin, arch, and wake vortices. This study offers insights that could inform the design of next-generation underwater robots, heat exchangers, and submarine sails.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_04147
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Numerical Study of Flow Past a Wall-Mounted Dolphin Dorsal Fin at Low Reynolds Numbers
Lin, Zhonglu
Gao, An-Kang
Zhang, Yu
Fluid Dynamics
Biological Physics
76Z10
Dolphin swimming has been a captivating area of study, yet the hydrodynamics of the dorsal fin remain underexplored. In this study, we present three-dimensional simulations of flow around a wall-mounted dolphin dorsal fin, derived from a real dolphin scan. The NEK5000 (spectral element method) is employed with a second-order hex20 mesh to ensure high accuracy and computational efficiency in the simulations. A total of 13 cases were simulated, covering angles of attack (AoA) ranging from $0^\circ$ to $60^\circ$ and Reynolds numbers ($\text{Re}$) between 691 and 2000. Our results show that both drag and lift increase significantly with the AoA. Almost no vortex is observed at $\text{AoA} = 0^\circ$, whereas complex vortex structures emerge for $\text{AoA} \geq 30^\circ$, including half-horseshoe, hairpin, arch, and wake vortices. This study offers insights that could inform the design of next-generation underwater robots, heat exchangers, and submarine sails.
title Numerical Study of Flow Past a Wall-Mounted Dolphin Dorsal Fin at Low Reynolds Numbers
topic Fluid Dynamics
Biological Physics
76Z10
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.04147