Numerical simulation for hydrodynamic characteristics of a bionic flapping hydrofoil

In order to study the propulsion mechanism of the bionic flapping hydrofoil (BFH), a 2-DoF (heave and pitch) motion model is formulated. The hydrodynamic performance of BFH with a series of kinematical parameters is explored via numerical simulation based on FLUENT. The calculated result is compared with the experimental value of MIT and that by the panel method. Moreover, the effect of inlet velocity, the angle of attack, the heave amplitude, the pitch amplitude, the phase difference, the heave biased angle, the pitch biased angle and the oscillating frequency are investigated. The study is useful for guiding the design of bionic underwater vehicle based on flapping propulsion. It is indicated that the optimal parameters combination is v = 0.5 m/s, ϕ0 = 40°, θ0 = 30°, ψ = 90°, ϕbias = 0°, θbias = 0° and f = 0.5 Hz.