Efficiency of Fish Propulsion

It is shown that the system efficiency of a self-propelled flexible body is ill-defined unless one considers the concept of quasi-propulsive efficiency, defined as the ratio of the power needed to tow a body in rigid-straight condition over the power it needs for self-propulsion, both measured for the same speed. Through examples we show that the quasi-propulsive efficiency is the only rational non-dimensional metric of the propulsive fitness of fish and fish-like mechanisms. Using two-dimensional viscous simulations and the concept of quasi-propulsive efficiency, we discuss the efficiency two-dimensional undulating foils. We show that low efficiencies, due to adverse body-propulsor hydrodynamic interactions, cannot be accounted for by the increase in friction drag

The impact of uncertainty shocks on the volatility of commodity prices

In this paper, we empirically examine the impact of uncertainty shocks on the volatility of commodity prices. Using alternative measures of economic uncertainty for the U.S. we estimate their effects on commodity price volatility by employing both VAR and OLS regression models. We find that the unobservable economic uncertainty measures of Jurado et al. (2015) have a significant and long-lasting positive impact on the volatility of commodity prices. Our results indicate that a positive shock in both macroeconomic and financial uncertainty leads to a persistent increase in the volatility of the broad commodity market index and of the individual commodity prices, with the macroeconomic effect being more significant. The impact is stronger in energy commodities compared to the agricultural and metals markets. In addition, our findings show that the measure of unpredictability of the macroeconomic environment has the most significant impact on the commodity price volatility when compared to the observable measures of economic uncertainty that have a rather small and transitory effect. Finally, we show that uncertainty in the macroeconomy is significantly reduced after the occurrence of large commodity market volatility episodes

Robust Control For Underwater Vehicle Systems With Time Delays

Presented in this paper is a robust control scheme for controlling systems with time delays. The scheme is based on the Smith controller and the LQG/LTR (Linear Quadratic Gaussian/Loop Transfer Recovery) methodology. The methodology is applicable to undenvater vehicle systems that exhibit time delays, including tethered vehicles that are positioned through the movements of a surface ship and autonomous vehicles that are controlled through an acoustic link. An example, using full-scale data from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s tethered vehicle ARGO, demonstrates the developments

Vortical patterns behind a tapered cylinder oscillating transversely

Visualization studies of the flow behind an oscillating tapered cylinder are performed at Reynolds numbers from 400 to 1500. The cylinder has taper ratio 40:1 and is moving at constant forward speed U while being forced to oscillate harmonically in the transverse direction. It is shown that within the lock-in region and above a threshold amplitude, no cells form and, instead, a single frequency of response dominates the entire span. Within certain frequency ranges a single mode dominates in the wake, consisting of shedding along the entire span of either two vortices per cycle (`2S' mode), or four vortices per cycle (`2P' mode); but within specific parametric ranges a hybrid mode is observed, consisting of a `2S' pattern along the part of the span with the larger diameter and a `2P' pattern along the part of the span with the smaller diameter. A distinct vortex split connects the two patterns which are phaselocked and have the same frequency. The hybrid mode is periodic, unlike vortex dislocations, and the location of the vortex split remains stable and repeatable, within one to two diameters, depending on the amplitude and frequency of oscillation and the Reynolds number

Forces on oscillating uniform and tapered cylinders in a crossflow

Forces are measured at both ends of rigid cylinders with span 60 cm, performing transverse oscillations within an oncoming stream of water, at Reynolds number Re ~3800. Forced harmonic motions and free vibrations of uniform and tapered cylinders are studied. To study free motions, a novel force-feedback control system has been developed, consisting of: (a) a force transducer, which measures forces on a section of a cylinder moving forward at constant speed; (b) a computer using the measured force signal to drive in real time a numerical simulation of an equivalent mass-dashpot-spring system; (c) a servomotor and linear table which impose, also in real time, the numerically calculated motion on the cylinder section. The apparatus allows very low equivalent system damping and strict control of the parametric values and structure of the equivalent system. Calculation of the cross-correlation coefficient between forces at the two ends of the uniform cylinder reveals five distinct regimes as a function of the nominal reduced velocity Vrn: two regimes, for low and high values of Vrn, and far away from the value of VrS corresponding to the Strouhal frequency, show small correlation; two regimes immediately adjacent to, but excluding, VrS show strong correlation, close to 1; surprisingly, there is a regime containing the Strouhal frequency, within which correlation is low. Free vibrations with a 40:1 tapered cylinder show that the regime of low correlation, containing the Strouhal frequency, stretches to higher reduced velocities, while lock-in starts at lower reduced velocities. When comparing the amplitude and phase of the lift coefficient measured for free and then for forced vibrations, we obtain close agreement, both for tapered and uniform cylinders. When comparing the cross-correlation coefficient however, we find that it is much higher in the forced oscillations, especially for the uniform cylinder. Hence, although the force magnitude and phase may be replicated well in forced vibrations, the correlation data suggest that differences exist between free and forced vibration cases

Assessing the phenomenology of the Cretan Sea shelf area using coupling modelling techniques

International audienceIn this work the ability of nesting two hydrodynamical models, the high-resolution Cretan Sea shelf model and the lower resolution regional ALERMO model, was investigated. A new database was developed by objectively analysing raw climatological data from the MODB database enriched with in situ measurements collected by the Institute of Marine Biology of Crete. Prior to nesting with the ALERMO model, the Cretan Sea model was integrated using this new hydrological database, in order to investigate the capability of the model setup to describe the phenomenology of the Cretan Sea. Results show that the model can successfully reproduce the complex general circulation characteristics of the area, such as the dipole of a cyclone and an anticyclone, and the flow reversal between winter and summer. As a next step, the shelf-model was one-way nested with the ALERMO model and was integrated on a climatological basis. The evolution of the circulation characteristics of the Cretan Sea was compared, qualitatively and quantitatively, against the results of the regional model, and proved that the nesting between the two models can provide reliable information while overcoming at the same time the computational constraints imposed by high-resolution models

Assimilation of ocean colour data into a Biogeochemical Flux Model of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

International audienceAn advanced multivariate sequential data assimilation system has been implemented within the framework of the European MFSTEP project to fit a three-dimensional biogeochemical model of the Eastern Mediterranean to satellite chlorophyll data from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS). The physics are described by the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) while the biochemistry of the ecosystem is tackled with the Biogeochemical Flux Model (BFM). The assimilation scheme is based on the Singular Evolutive Extended Kalman (SEEK) filter, in which the error statistics were parameterized by means of a suitable set of Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs). To avoid spurious long-range correlations associated with the limited number of EOFs, the filter covariance matrix was given compact support through a radius of influence around every data point location. Hindcast experiments were performed for one year over 1999 and forced with ECMWF 6 h atmospheric fields. The solution of the assimilation system was evaluated against the assimilated data and the MedAtlas climatology, and by assessing the impact of the assimilation on non-observed biogeochemical processes. It is found that the assimilation of SeaWiFS data improves the overall behavior of the BFM model and efficiently removes long term biases from the model despite some difficulties during the spring bloom period. Results, however, suggest the need of subsurface data to enhance the estimation of the ecosystem variables in the deep layers

Calculation of Dynamic Motions and Tensions in Towed Underwater Cables

A matrix method for mooring system analysis is extended to address the dynamic response of towed underwater systems. Key tools are equivalent linearization and small perturbation theory, and a pitching towfish model. Two examples of application of the technique are provided. The first studies a fundamental limitation to constrained passive heave compensation, while the second concerns the use of floated tethers as a means for dynamic decoupling