A simulation framework for inviscid unsteady aerodynamics of flexible bodies -- application to schooling fish by Denis DUMOULIN

This study introduces an unsteady panel method designed to solve potential flows around rigid airfoils and self-propelling eel-like bodies exhibiting undulatory swimming motion. The flow model represents the boundary-layer as an infinitesimally thin vortex sheet on the body surface, detaching only at the wedged trailing-edge of the body in the form of point vorticity. This shed vorticity forms a wake which interacts with the body and is transported by the flow.

Following comparisons of our model with theoretical models as well as existing data from both inviscid and viscous simulations, we present basic manoeuvring techniques in the case of self-propulsion. Furthermore, by coupling the flow model to a solver for multi-body systems, we analyze energetic aspects of biolocomotion within small schools of swimming individuals. Lastly, a numerical complexity reduction strategy is presented:  contiguous co-rotating vortex elements of the wake  are merged into a reduced set of point vortices in a momentum-preserving fashion, leading to significant computational gains in modelling the dynamics of rigid airfoils.

Jury members :

• Prof. Philippe Chatelain (UCLouvain, Belgium), supervisor
• Prof. Aude Simar (UCLouvain, Belgium), chairperson
• Prof. Grégoire Winckelmans (UCLouvain, Belgium)
• Prof. Jeff Eldredge (UCLA, USA)
• Prof. Karen Mulleners (EPLF, Switzerland)
• Prof. Grigorios Dimitriadis (ULiège, Belgium)

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