Three-dimensional wake topology and propulsive performance of low-aspect-ratio pitching-rolling plates

Abstract

The wake topology and propulsive performance of low-aspect-ratio plates undergoing a pitching-rolling motion in a uniform stream were numerically investigated by an in-house immersed-boundary-method-based incompressible Navier-Stokes equation solver. A detailed analysis of the vortical structures indicated that the pitching-rolling plate produced double-loop vortices with alternating signs from its trailing edge every half period. These vortices then shed and further evolved into interconnected “double-C”-shaped vortex rings, which eventually formed a bifurcating wake pattern in the downstream. As the wake convected downstream, there was a slight deflection in the spanwise direction to the plate tip, and the contained vortex ring size gradually increased. In addition, the analysis of the propulsive performance indicated that the shedding process of the double-loop vortices led to two peaks in the lift and thrust force production per half cycle. The observation of the double peaks in the force production is in agreement with previous flapping wing studies. Simulations were also used to examine the variations in the wake structures and propulsive performance of the plates over a range of major parameters. The aforementioned vortex structures were found to be quite robust over a range of Strouhal numbers, Reynolds numbers, and plate aspect ratios.