2D Dynamic Simulation of the Undulating Fin Motion

This paper considers undulating propulsion as an innovative approach in designing the autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) due to significant advances it provides over the classical underwater motion methods. The research begins with analyzing hydrodynamic forces acting on the surface of a vertically positioned undulating fin. It focuses on extracting the relationship between the undulating motion control parameters and the resulting forces. Results are assessed using the ANSYS Fluent 2021 R2 software. The required undulating motion could be implemented by writing and using a user defined function (UDF), where the motion parameters, such as the wave frequency and amplitude, are modified. The problem is considered in the transient time mode and in the URANS formulation using the Menter's SST turbulence model. Simulation is introduced to measure both the force parallel to the fin longitude and the force perpendicular to the longitude. The paper examines trends in these forces as the functions of frequency, amplitude, and the number of sine waves in the undulation.