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Efficient kinematics for jet-propelled swimming

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2013

S. Alben ,
L. A. Miller  and
J. Peng
S. Alben*
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
L. A. Miller
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics and Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
J. Peng
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: alben@umich.edu
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Abstract

We use computer simulations and an analytical model to study the relationship between kinematics and performance in jet-propelled jellyfish swimming. We prescribe different power-law kinematics for the bell contraction and expansion, and identify kinematics that yield high swimming speeds and/or high efficiency. In the simulations, high efficiency is found when the bell radius is a nearly linear function of time, and in a second case corresponding to ‘burst-and-coast’ kinematics. The analytical model studies the contraction phase only, and finds that the efficiency-optimizing bell radius as a function of time transitions from nearly linear (similar to the numerics) for small-to-moderate output power to exponentially decaying for large output power.

JFM classification

Biological Fluid Dynamics: Biological Fluid Dynamics Biological Fluid Dynamics: Propulsion Biological Fluid Dynamics: Swimming/flying
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 733 , 25 October 2013 , pp. 100 - 133
Copyright
©2013 Cambridge University Press 

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