Experimental investigations of elastic tail propulsion at low Reynolds number
- 1 September 2006
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Physics of Fluids
- Vol. 18 (9) , 091701
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2349585
Abstract
A simple way to generate propulsion at low Reynolds number is to periodically oscillate a passive flexible filament. Here we present a macroscopic experimental investigation of such a propulsive mechanism. A robotic swimmer is constructed and both tail shape and propulsive force are measured. Filament characteristics and actuation are varied, and the resulting data are quantitatively compared with existing linear and nonlinear theories.Keywords
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