Abstract
A method was devised to vector propulsion of a robotic pectoral fin by means of actively controlling fin surface curvature. Separate flapping fin gaits were designed to maximize thrust for each of three different thrust vectors: forward, reverse, and lift. By using weighted combinations of these three pre-determined main gaits, new intermediate hybrid gaits for any desired propulsion vector can be created with smooth transitioning between these gaits. This weighted gait combination (WGC) method is applicable to other difficult-to-model actuators. Both 3D unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental results are presented.
Highlights
FIN flapping is a locomotor motion useful for both stability control and propulsion
Our proposed pectoral fin thrust vectoring method quickly calculates inverse kinematics by intelligently combining multiple proven pre-selected gaits based on trends found in experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results
The computed unsteady pressure distribution time-history was integrated throughout the course of the computation to develop the time-varied location of the Center of pressure (CoP)
Summary
FIN flapping is a locomotor motion useful for both stability control and propulsion. Many animals use flapping as the primary means of locomotion, including birds, fish, marine mammals, and insects. In the majority of the literature, researchers have treated flappers as rigid plates with basic sinusoidal control laws to simplify modeling. Those mathematical approximations and mechanical simplifications result in reduced propulsive performance as shown by CFD modeling [1, 2], theoretical modeling. Separately – forward, reverse, and lift – consisting of preprogrammed kinematics intentionally designed for specific thrust vectors By combining these main gaits into new and unique sub-gaits, we demonstrate for any desired thrust vector and possible magnitude how to algorithmically create an instant set of matching flapping fin kinematics. We discuss the implications of our fin thrust vectoring method
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