A 3D Numerical Method for Studying Vortex Formation Behind a Moving Plate

In this paper, we introduce a three-dimensional numerical method for computing the wake behind a flat plate advancing perpendicular to the flow. Our numerical method is inspired by the panel method of J. Katz and A. Plotkin [J. Katz and A. Plotkin, Low-speed Aerodynamics, 2001] and the 2D vortex blob method of Krasny [R. Krasny, Lectures in Appl. Math., 28 (1991), pp. 385--402]. The accuracy of the method will be demonstrated by comparing the 3D computation at the center section of a very high aspect ratio plate with the corresponding two-dimensional computation. Furthermore, we compare the numerical results obtained by our 3D numerical method with the corresponding experimental results obtained recently by Ringuette [M. J. Ringuette, Ph.D. Thesis, 2004] in the towing tank. Our numerical results are shown to be in excellent agreement with the experimental results up to the so-called formation time

Mathematical modeling and simulation of aquatic and aerial animal locomotion

In this paper, we investigate the locomotion of fish and birds by applying a new unsteady, flexible wing theory that takes into account the strong nonlinear dynamics semi-analytically. We also make extensive comparative study between the new approach and the modified vortex blob method inspired from Chorin’s and Krasny’s work. We first implement the modified vortex blob method for two examples and then discuss the numerical implementation of the nonlinear analytical mathematical model of Wu. We will demonstrate that Wu’s method can capture the nonlinear effects very well by applying it to some specific cases and by comparing with the experiments available. In particular, we apply Wu’s method to analyze Wagner’s result for a wing abruptly undergoing an increase in incidence angle. Moreover, we study the vorticity generated by a wing in heaving, pitching and bending motion. In both cases, we show that the new method can accurately represent the vortex structure behind a flying wing and its influence on the bound vortex sheet on the wing