77 research outputs found

    Computation of the unsteady flow past a tuna with caudal fin oscillation

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    Only recently has a capability for computing three-dimensional, unsteady incompressible flow over a changing geometry become available. In that work, the flow field generated during a torpedo launch from a submarine was computed. This paper describes the extension of that work to carry out a direct computation, making no geometric simplifications, of the unsteady flow past a tuna, including the oscillatory caudal fin motion. In particular, described is the computation of the time variation of the pressure distribution over the entire body and the integration over all surfaces to obtain the unsteady thrust. &nbsp

    A Hybrid Grid Compressible Flow Solver for Large-Scale Supersonic Jet Noise Simulations on Multi-GPU Clusters

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    Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97132/1/AIAA2012-564.pd

    Fluid Dynamics of Flapping Aquatic Flight in the Bird Wrasse: Three-dimensional unsteady computations with fin deformation

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    Many fishes that swim with the paired pectoral fins use fin-stroke parameters that produce thrust force from lift in a mechanism of underwater flight. These locomotor mechanisms are of interest to behavioral biologists, biomechanics researchers and engineers. In the. present study, we performed the first three-dimensional unsteady computations of fish swimming with oscillating and deforming fins. The objective of these computations was to investigate the fluid dynamics of force production associated with the flapping aquatic flight of the bird wrasse Gomphosus varius. For this computational work, we used the geometry of the wrasse and its pectoral fin, and previously measured fin kinematics, as the starting points for computational investigation of three-dimensional (3-D) unsteady fluid dynamics. We performed a 3-D steady computation and a complete set of 3-D quasi-steady computations for a range of pectoral fin positions and surface velocities. An unstructured, grid-based, unsteady Navier-Stokes solver with automatic adaptive remeshing was then used to compute the unsteady How about the wrasse through several complete cycles of pectoral fin oscillation. The shape deformation of the pectoral fin throughout the oscillation was taken from the experimental kinematics. The pressure distribution on the body of the bird wrasse and its pectoral fins was computed and integrated to give body and fin forces which were decomposed into lift and thrust. The velocity field variation on the surface of the wrasse body, on the pectoral fins and in the near-wake was computed throughout the swimming cycle. We compared our computational results for the steady, quasi-steady and unsteady cases with the experimental data on axial and vertical acceleration obtained from the pectoral fin kinematics experiments. These comparisons show that steady state computations are incapable of describing the fluid dynamics of flapping fins. Quasi-steady state computations, with correct incorporation of the experimental kinematics, are useful when determining trends in force production, but do not provide accurate estimates of the magnitudes of the forces produced. By contrast, unsteady computations about the deforming pectoral fins using experimentally measured fin kinematics were found to give excellent agreement, both in the time history of force production throughout the flapping strokes and in the magnitudes of the generated forces

    Computational Approaches for Modeling Power Consumption on an Underwater Flapping Fin Propulsion System

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    The last few decades have led to the rise of research focused on propulsion and control systems for bio-inspired unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which provide more maneuverable alternatives to traditional UUVs in underwater missions. Propulsive efficiency is of utmost importance for flapping-fin UUVs in order to extend their range and endurance for essential operations. To optimize for different gait performance metrics, we develop a non-dimensional figure of merit (FOM), derived from measures of propulsive efficiency, that is able to evaluate different fin designs and kinematics, and allow for comparison with other bio-inspired platforms. We create and train computational models using experimental data, and use these models to predict thrust and power under different fin operating states, providing efficiency profiles. We then use the developed FOM to analyze optimal gaits and compare the performance between different fin materials. These comparisons provide a better understanding of how fin materials affect our thrust generation and propulsive efficiency, allowing us to inform control systems and weight for efficiency on an inverse gait-selector model.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, conferenc

    Fluid Dynamics of Flapping Aquatic Flight in the Bird Wrasse: Three-Dimensional Unsteady Computations With Fin Deformation

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    Many fishes that swim with the paired pectoral fins use fin-stroke parameters that produce thrust force from lift in a mechanism of underwater flight. These locomotor mechanisms are of interest to behavioral biologists, biomechanics researchers and engineers. In the present study, we performed the first three-dimensional unsteady computations of fish swimming with oscillating and deforming fins. The objective of these computations was to investigate the fluid dynamics of force production associated with the flapping aquatic flight of the bird wrasse Gomphosus varius. For this computational work, we used the geometry of the wrasse and its pectoral fin, and previously measured fin kinematics, as the starting points for computational investigation of three-dimensional (3-D) unsteady fluid dynamics. We performed a 3-D steady computation and a complete set of 3-D quasisteady computations for a range of pectoral fin positions and surface velocities. An unstructured, grid-based, unsteady Navier-Stokes solver with automatic adaptive remeshing was then used to compute the unsteady flow about the wrasse through several complete cycles of pectoral fin oscillation. The shape deformation of the pectoral fin throughout the oscillation was taken from the experimental kinematics. The pressure distribution on the body of the bird wrasse and its pectoral fins was computed and integrated to give body and fin forces which were decomposed into lift and thrust. The velocity field variation on the surface of the wrasse body, on the pectoral fins and in the near-wake was computed throughout the swimming cycle. We compared our computational results for the steady, quasi-steady and unsteady cases with the experimental data on axial and vertical acceleration obtained from the pectoral fin kinematics experiments. These comparisons show that steady state computations are incapable of describing the fluid dynamics of flapping fins. Quasi-steady state computations, with correct incorporation of the experimental kinematics, are useful when determining trends in force production, but do not provide accurate estimates of the magnitudes of the forces produced. By contrast, unsteady computations about the deforming pectoral fins using experimentally measured fin kinematics were found to give excellent agreement, both in the time history of force production throughout the flapping strokes and in the magnitudes of the generated forces

    Large-Eddy Simulations of a Supersonic Jet and Its Near-Field Acoustic Properties

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    Large-eddy simulations of imperfectly expanded jet flows from a convergent-divergent nozzle with a sharp contraction at the nozzle throat have been carried out. The flowfield and near-field acoustics for various total pressure ratios from overexpanded to underexpanded jet flow conditions have been investigated. The location and spacing of the shock cells are in good agreement with experimental data and previous theoretical results. The velocity profiles are also in good agreement with data from experimental measurements. A Mach disk is observed immediately downstream of the nozzle exit for overexpanded jet conditions with nozzle pressure ratios much lower than the fully expanded value. It is found that this type of nozzle with a sharp turning throat does not have a shock- free condition for supersonic jet flows. The near-field intensities of pressure fluctuations show wavy structures for cases in which screech tones are observed. The large-eddy simulations predictions of the near-field noise intensities show good agreement with those obtained from experimental measurements. This good agreement shows that large- eddy simulations and measurements can play complementary roles in the investigation of the noise generation from supersonic jet flows. &nbsp

    Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

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    Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

    Entrepreneurs, Firms and Global Wealth Since 1850

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