Propulsive performance and flow field characteristics of a 2-D flexible fin with variations in the location of its pitching axis

The thrust coefficients and propulsive efficiency of a two-dimensional flexible fin with heaving and pitching motion were computed using FLUENT. The effect of different locations of the pitching axis on propulsive performance was examined using three deflexion modes which are respectively, modified Bose mode, cantilever beam with uniformly distributed load and cantilever beam with non-uniformly distributed load. The results show that maximum thrust can be achieved with the pitching axis at the trailing edge, but the highest propulsive efficiency can be achieved with the pitching axis either 1/3 of the chord length from the leading edge in modified Bose mode, or 2/3 of the chord length from the leading edge in cantilever beam mode. At the same time, the effects of the Strouhal number and maximal attack angle on the hydrodynamics performance of the flexible fin were analyzed. Parameter interval of the maximum thrust coefficient and the highest propulsive efficiency were gained. If the Strouhal number is low, high propulsive efficiency can be achieved at low αmax , and vice versa.

Propulsive Velocity Optimization of 3-Joint Fish Robot Using Genetic-Hill Climbing Algorithm

Underwater robot is a new research field which is emerging quickly in recent years.Previous researches in this field focus on Remotely Operated Vehicles(ROVs),Autonomous Underwater Vehicles(AUVs),underwater manipulators,etc.Fish robot, which is a new type of underwater biomimetic robot,has attracted great attention because of its silence in moving and energy efficiency compared to conventional propeller-oriented propulsive mechanism. However,most of researches on fish robots have been carried out via empirical or experimental approaches,not based on dynamic optimality.In this paper,we proposed an analytical optimization approach which can guarantee the maximum propulsive velocity of fish robot in the given parametric conditions.First,a dynamic model of 3-joint(4 links)carangiform fish robot is derived,using which the influences of parameters of input torque functions,such as amplitude,frequency and phase difference,on its velocity are investigated by simulation.Second,the maximum velocity of the fish robot is optimized by combining Genetic Algorithm(GA)and Hill Climbing Algorithm(HCA).GA is used to generate the initial optimal parameters of the input functions of the system.Then,the parameters are optimized again by HCA to ensure that the final set of parameters is the'near'global optimization.Finally,both simulations and primitive experiments are carried out to prove the feasibility of the proposed method.

Simplified propulsive model for biomimetic robot fish and its experimental validation

As a combination of bio-mechanism and engineering technology, robot fish has become a multidisci- plinary research that mainly involves both hydrodynamics-based control and actuation technology. This paper presents a simplified propulsive model for carangiform propulsion, which is a swimming mode suitable for high speed and high efficiency. The carangiform motion is modeled as an N-joint nscillating mechanism that is composed of two basic components： the streamlined fish body represented by a planar spline curve and its hmate caudal tail by an oscillating foil. The speed of fish＇s straight swimming is adjusted by modulating the joint＇s oscillating frequency, and its orientation is tuned by different joint＇s deflection. The results from actual experiment showed that the proposed simplified propulsive model could be a viable eandidate for application in aquatic： swimming vehicles.

The Propulsive Force of the Water-jet to the Flying Weft in Water-jet Looms

In order to study the propulsive force on the water-jet to the flying weft in water-jet looms, a dynamic model has been established. Based on the analysis and example testing, an experiential formula of the propulsive force of the water-jet to the flying weft is obtained for the first time. The formula will profit the further research of the water-jet weft insertion and the production of textile.

Numerical simulation of the self-propulsive motion of a fishlike swimming foil using the δ^+-SPH model

The present work is dedicated to the application of the recently developed （δ＋ -SPH） scheme to the self-propulsive fishlike swimming hydrodynamics. In the numerical method, a particle shifting technique （PST） is implemented in the framework of δ-SPH, combining with an adaptive particle refinement （APR） which is a numerical technique adopted to refine the particle resolution in the local region and de-refine particles outside that region. This comes into being the so-called δ＋- SPH scheme which contributes to higher numerical accuracy and efficiency. In the fishlike swimming modeling, a NACA0012 profile is controlled to perform a wavy motion mimicking the fish swimming in water. Thanks to the mesh-free characteristic of SPH method, the NACA0012 profile can undergo a wavy motion with large amplitude and move forward freely, avoiding the problem of mesh distortion. A parallel staggered algorithm is adopted to perform the fluidstructure interaction between the foil and the surrounding fluid. Two different approaches are adopted for the fishlike swimming problem. In Approach 1, the foil is fixed and flaps in a free stream and in Approach 2, the wavy foil can move forward under the self-driving force. The numerical results clearly demonstrate the capability of the δ＋ -SPH scheme in modeling such kind of self-propulsive fishlike swimming problems.

Research on Preparation and Propulsive Applications of Highly Concentrated Hydrogen Peroxide

Highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide has been widely used as a rocket mono-propellant and oxidiser since 1940＇s. Although the relevant specialist literature concerning HTP is relatively extensive, one can still find many myths about highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide, especially concerning safety aspects about its preparation by different techniques, handling or further utilisation. Such ambiguities can result in rather apprehensive approach towards preparing, utilising or even handling of HTP in relevant industry or research fields. The paper contains modern approach to laboratory preparation of highly concentrated solutions of hydrogen peroxide of HTP class （concentration 98%＋） that is intended for propulsive （rocket） applications. Authors, who have gained extensive experience in the field of HTP preparation, handling and utilisation, concisely explain facts and disprove some common myths concerning HTP. Additionally, advantages and possible application of 98%＋ solutions of HTP in various propulsive systems such as small satellites are described. The attention is also paid to the possibility of replacing currently used toxic and corrosive rocket propellants, such as hydrazine and its derivatives, RFNA （red fuming nitric acid）, MON （mixed oxides of nitrogen） or NTO （dinitrogen tetroxide）, by 98%＋ HTP. The potential of the medium as green and easy to handle propellant that can act both, as monopropellant or strong liquid oxidiser with hypergolic capability, is outlined briefly as well.

Propulsive performance of a passively flapping plate in a uniform flow

Propulsive performance of a passively flapping plate in a uniform viscous flow has been studied numerically by means of a multiblock lattice Boltzmann method. The passively flapping plate is modeled by a rigid plate with a torsion spring acting about the pivot at the leading-edge of the plate, which is called a lumped-torsional-flexibility model. When the leading-edge is forced to take a vertical oscillation, the plate pitches passively due to the fluid-plate interaction. Based on our numerical simulations, various fundamental mechanisms dictating the propulsive performance, including the forces on the plate, power consumption, propulsive efficiency and vortical structures, have been studied. It is found that the torsional flexibility of the passively pitching plate can improve the propulsive performance. The results obtained in this study provide some physical insights into the understanding of the propulsive behaviors of swimming and flying animals.

Study on the lift and propulsive force shares to improve the flight performance of a compound helicopter

To investigate the effects of lift and propulsive force shares on flight performance,a compound helicopter model is derived.The model consists of a helicopter model,a wing model and a propeller model.At a low speed of 100 km/h,the Lift-to-Drag ratio(L/D)of the compound helicopter is improved when the wing provides 20.2%of the take-off weight.At high speeds,the L/D can be improved when the propeller provides the total propulsive force.Lowering the main rotor speed increases the wing lift share,however,the maximum L/D increases first and then decreases.The maximum L/D increases with decreasing the blade twist of the main rotor.Decreasing the blade twist from-16°to-8°increases the maximum L/D by 2.3%,and the wing lift share is increased from 65.0%to 74.7%.When the main rotor torque is balanced by the rudder,the maximum L/D is increased by 2.2%without changing the wing lift share.The wing should provide more lift as increasing the take-off weight,which reduces the induced power of the main rotor and increases the L/D.When increasing the take-off weight from 9500 kg to 11000 kg,the maximum L/D is increased by 6.5%,and the wing lift share is increased from 74.7%to 80.2%.

Numerical analysis on propulsive efficiency and pre-deformated optimization of a composite marine propeller

The objectives of this paper are to numerically investigate the performance of a composite propeller through bidirectional FSI algorithm combining CFD and FEM,and to improve its propulsive efficiency by a pre-deformated method. Numerical results are presented for the composite propeller which has been modeled by unidirectionally stacking with glass-fiber reinforced composites. The propulsive efficiency of the composite and rigid propellers with different advance coefficients J has been compared.The results show that the efficiency of the composite propeller is obviously higher than that of the rigid propeller when J≤0.8,which is attributed to the decrease of pitch angle caused by the bend-twist coupling effects. But for the design condition J=0.851 and the cases with J>0.851,the efficiency of the composite propeller is significantly lower than that of the rigid propeller,which is because the angle of attack αcomposite is deviated from the optimal angle of attack αdesign more than that for the rigid case αrigid.Based on the optimization by the proposed pre-deformated method,the efficiency improvement of the composite propeller at the conditions with J≥0.851 could be obtained,and the composite material used in this work can meet the strength requirement of the designed propellers.

Propulsive Characteristics of Twin Oscillating Airfoils

The bionic propulsion can be used on the aerostat and other automatic vehicles. The general single oscillating tail fin can induce the yawing and whole airship rolling because of the lateral force and the gravity moment of heavier oscillating tail fin. The parallel twin oscillating tail fins by symmetrical swing mode can eliminate the lateral force and gravity moment through the symmetrical swing of the two tail fins. The propulsive characteristics of parallel twin fins have not been investigated up to now. In this paper, we investigated the propulsive characteristics and mechanism of parallel twin oscillating airfoils using consistent and symmetrical swing mode. By using the numerical calculation and analysis, the consistent swing mode may decrease the total propulsion efficiency. While, the symmetrical swing mode can improve the propulsion efficiency and reduce the lateral force and gravity moment. This mode can be used to propel the aerostat and automatic underwater vehicles efficiently.

Performance investigation of a low-power Hall thruster fed on iodine propellant

The common propellants used for electric thrusters, such as xenon and krypton, are rare, expensive,and difficult to acquire. Solid iodine attracts much attention with the advantages of low cost,extensive availability, low vapor pressure, and ionization potential. The performance of a lowpower iodine-fed Hall thruster matched with a xenon-fed cathode is investigated across a broad range of operation conditions. Regulation of the iodine vapor's mass flow rates is stably achieved by using a temperature control method of the iodine reservoir. The thrust measurements are finished utilizing a thrust target during the tests. Results show that thrust and anode-specific impulse increase approximately linearly with the increasing iodine mass flow rate.At the nominal power of 200 W class, iodine mass flow rates are 0.62 and 0.93 mg/s, thrusts are7.19 and 7.58 m N, anode specific impulses are 1184 and 826 s, anode efficiencies are 20.8%and 14.5%, and thrust to power ratios are 35.9 and 37.9 m N/k W under the conditions of 250 V,0.8 A and 200 V, 1.0 A, respectively. The operating characteristics of iodine-fed Hall thruster are analyzed in different states. Further work on the measurements of plasma characteristics and experimental optimization will be carried out.

Experimental investigation of the polarityswitching process with different bipolar ionic liquid thruster operating frequencies

The bipolar ionic liquid thruster employs ionic liquid as a propellant to discharge positively and negatively charged high-energy particles under an alternating current(AC)power source,effectively suppressing electrochemical reaction and ensuring charge neutrality.Determining an optimal AC supply power source frequency is critical for sustained stable thruster operation.This study focuses on the emission characteristics of the ionic liquid thruster under varied AC conditions.The AC power supply was set within the frequency range of 0.5-64 Hz,with eight specific frequency conditions selected for experimentation.The experimental results indicate that the thruster operates steadily within a voltage range of±1470 to±1920 V,with corresponding positive polarity current ranging from 0.41 to 4.91μA and negative polarity current ranging from−0.49 to−4.10μA.During voltage polarity switching,an emission delay occurs,manifested as a prominent peak signal caused by circuit capacitance characteristics and a minor peak signal resulting from liquid droplets.Extended emission test was conducted at 16 Hz,demonstrating approximately 1 h and 50 min of consistent emission before intermittent discharge.These findings underscore the favorable impact of AC conditions within the 8-16 Hz range on the self-neutralization capability of the ionic liquid thruster.

Preliminary study of the electrospray DPE peculiarities from the liquid surface in the presence of the CSWs

The Ultrasonic Electric Propulsion(UEP)system is a cutting-edge propulsion technology that is mostly used on platforms for small satellites(less than 10 kg).The characteristics of droplet partial emissions(DPEs)in the UEP system are investigated using a high-speed imaging technique(an ultra-high speed camera(NAC HX-6)and a long-distance microscope)in this work.The experiments demonstrate that there are a few partial emission modes,including left-side emission,double-side emission,and right-side emission,that are present in the droplet emission process of the UEP system.These modes are primarily caused by the partial formation of capillary standing waves(CSWs)on the emission surface of the ultrasonic nozzle.The emission rate for single-and double-sided emissions varies at different times,indicating that there are different CSWs engaged in droplet emission due to variations in the liquid film thickness and charge state of the liquid cones.Additionally,as the droplets emit continuously,a raised area on the emission surface appears,with several droplets emitting there as a result of charge accumulation.Additionally,photos of the CSWs with emitting droplets are obtained,which highlights the CSWs'distinctive wave morphology.

The Optimization Design of the Nozzle Section for theWater Jet Propulsion System Applied in Jet Skis

The performance of a water jet propulsion system is related to the inlet duct,rotor,stator,and nozzle.Generally,the flow inlet design must fit the bottom line of the hull,and the design of the inlet duct is often limited by stern space.The entire section,from the rotor to the nozzle through the stator,must be designed based on system integration in that the individual performance of these three components will influence each other.Particularly,the section from the rotor to the nozzle significantly impacts the performance of a water jet propulsion system.This study focused on nozzle design and established referable analysis results to facilitate subsequent integrated studies on the design parameters regarding nozzle contour.Most existing studies concentrate on discussions on rotor design and the tip leakage flow of rotors or have replaced the existing complex computational domain with a simple flow field.However,research has yet to implement an integrated,optimal design of the section from the rotor to the nozzle.Given the above,our program conducted preliminary research on this system integration design issue,discussed the optimal nozzle for this section in-depth,and proposed design suggestions based on the findings.This program used an existing model as the design case.This study referred to the actual trial data as the design conditions for the proposed model.Unlike prior references’simple flow field form,this study added a jet ski geometry and free surface to the computational domain.After the linear hull shape was considered,the inflow in the inlet duct would be closer to the actual condition.Based on the numerical calculation result,this study recommends that the optimal nozzle outlet area should be 37%of the inlet area and that the nozzle contour should be linear.Furthermore,for the pump head,static pressure had a more significant impact than dynamic pressure.

Ignition processes and characteristics of charring conductive polymers with a cavity geometry in precombustion chamber for applications in micro/nano satellite hybrid rocket motors

The arc ignition system based on charring polymers has advantages of simple structure,low ignition power consumption and multiple ignitions,which bringing it broadly application prospect in hybrid propulsion system of micro/nano satellite.However,charring polymers alone need a relatively high input voltage to achieve pyrolysis and ignition,which increases the burden and cost of the power system of micro/nano satellite in practical application.Adding conductive substance into charring polymers can effectively decrease the conducting voltage which can realize low voltage and low power consumption repeated ignition of arc ignition system.In this paper,a charring conductive polymer ignition grain with a cavity geometry in precombustion chamber,which is composed of PLA and multiwall carbon nanotubes(MWCNT)was proposed.The detailed ignition processes were analyzed and two different ignition mechanisms in the cavity of charring conductive polymers were revealed.The ignition characteristics of charring conductive polymers were also investigated at different input voltages,ignition grain structures,ignition locations and injection schemes in a visual ignition combustor.The results demonstrated that the ignition delay and external energy required for ignition were inversely correlated with the voltages applied to ignition grain.Moreover,the incremental depth of cavity shortened the ignition delay and external energy required for ignition while accelerated the propagation of flame.As the depth of cavity increased from 2 to 6 mm(at 50 V),the time of flame propagating out of ignition grain changed from 235.6 to 108 ms,and values of mean ignition delay time and mean external energy required for ignition decreased from 462.8 to 320 ms and 16.2 to 10.75 J,respectively.The rear side of the cavity was the ideal ignition position which had a shorter ignition delay and a faster flame propagation speed in comparison to other ignition positions.Compared to direct injection scheme,swirling injection provided a more favorable flow field environment in the cavity,which was beneficial to ignition and initial flame propagation,but the ignition position needed to be away from the outlet of swirling injector.At last,the repeated ignition characteristic of charring conductive polymers was also investigated.The ignition delay time and external energy required for ignition decreased with repeated ignition times but the variation was decreasing gradually.

Identification of Backflow Vortex Instability in Rocket Engine Inducers

Bayesian estimation is applied to the analysis of backflow vortex instabilities in typical three-and four bladed liquid propellant rocket(LPR)engine inducers.The flow in the impeller eye is modeled as a set of equally intense and evenly spaced 2D axial vortices,located at the same radial distance from the axis and rotating at a fraction of the impeller speed.The circle theorem and the Bernoulli’s equation are used to predict the flow pressure in terms of the vortex number,intensity,rotational speed,and radial position.The theoretical spectra so obtained are frequency broadened to mimic the dispersion of the experimental data and parametrically fitted to the measured pressure spectra by maximum likelihood estimation with equal and independent Gaussian errors.The method is applied to three inducers,tested in water at room temperature and different loads and cavitation conditions.It successfully characterizes backflow instabilities using the signals of a single pressure transducer flush-mounted on the casing of the impeller eye,effectively by-passing the aliasing and data acquisition/reduction complexities of traditional multiple-sensor cross correlation methods.The identification returns the estimates of the model parameters and their standard errors,providing the information necessary for assessing the accuracy and statistical significance of the results.The flowrate is found to be the major factor affecting the backflow vortex instability,which,on the other hand,is rather insensitive to the occurrence of cavitation.The results are consistent with the data reported in the literature,as well as with those generated by the auxiliary models specifically developed for initializing the maximum likelihood searches and supporting the identification procedure.

Derivation of a Revised Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation That Predicts Combustion Oscillations

Our study identifies a subtle deviation from Newton’s third law in the derivation of the ideal rocket equation, also known as the Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation (TRE). TRE can be derived using a 1D elastic collision model of the momentum exchange between the differential propellant mass element (dm) and the rocket final mass (m1), in which dm initially travels forward to collide with m1 and rebounds to exit through the exhaust nozzle with a velocity that is known as the effective exhaust velocity ve. We observe that such a model does not explain how dm was able to acquire its initial forward velocity without the support of a reactive mass traveling in the opposite direction. We show instead that the initial kinetic energy of dm is generated from dm itself by a process of self-combustion and expansion. In our ideal rocket with a single particle dm confined inside a hollow tube with one closed end, we show that the process of self-combustion and expansion of dm will result in a pair of differential particles each with a mass dm/2, and each traveling away from one another along the tube axis, from the center of combustion. These two identical particles represent the active and reactive sub-components of dm, co-generated in compliance with Newton’s third law of equal action and reaction. Building on this model, we derive a linear momentum ODE of the system, the solution of which yields what we call the Revised Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation (RTRE). We show that RTRE has a mathematical form that is similar to TRE, with the exception of the effective exhaust velocity (ve) term. The ve term in TRE is replaced in RTRE by the average of two distinct exhaust velocities that we refer to as fast-jet, vx1, and slow-jet, vx2. These two velocities correspond, respectively, to the velocities of the detonation pressure wave that is vectored directly towards the exhaust nozzle, and the retonation wave that is initially vectored in the direction of rocket propagation, but subsequently becomes reflected from the thrust surface of the combustion chamber to exit through the exhaust nozzle with a time lag behind the detonation wave. The detonation-retonation phenomenon is supported by experimental evidence in the published literature. Finally, we use a convolution model to simulate the composite exhaust pressure wave, highlighting the frequency spectrum of the pressure perturbations that are generated by the mutual interference between the fast-jet and slow-jet components. Our analysis offers insights into the origin of combustion oscillations in rocket engines, with possible extensions beyond rocket engineering into other fields of combustion engineering.

Aerodynamic Design and Analysis of a Low-reaction Axial Compressor Stage

There is introduced a new low-reaction, highly-loaded axial compressor design concept which is coupled with boundary layer suction method. The characteristic features of the concept are made clear through its comparison with the MIT boundary layer suction compressor. Also are pointed out the potential applications of this concept as well as its key technological problems. Based on this concept, a single-stage, low-reaction and low-speed axial compressor is constructed in association with analysis and computation of boundary layer suction on vanes with the aid of a three-dimensional numerical approach. The results attest to the effectiveness of this way to control separation in blade cascades by the boundary layer suction and the feasibility of this proposed design concept.

Foreign Object Damage to Fan Rotor Blades of Aeroengine Part II: Numerical Simulation of Bird Impact

Bird impact is one of the most dangerous threats to flight safety. The consequences of bird impact can be severe and, therefore, the aircraft components have to be certified for a proven level of bird impact resistance before being put into service. The fan rotor blades of aeroengine are the components being easily impacted by birds. It is necessary to ensure that the fan rotor blades should have adequate resistance against the bird impact, to reduce the flying accidents caused by bird impacts. Using the contacting-impacting algorithm, the numerical simulation is carded out to simulate bird impact. A three-blade computational model is set up for the fan rotor blade having shrouds. The transient response curves of the points corresponding to measured points in experiments, displacements and equivalent stresses on the blades are obtained during the simulation. From the comparison of the transient response curves obtained from numerical simulation with that obtained from experiments, it can be found that the variations in measured points and the corresponding points of simulation are basically the same. The deforming process, the maximum displacements and the maximum equivalent stresses on blades are analyzed. The numerical simulation verifies and complements the experiment results.

APPLICATION OF HYBRID AERO-ENGINE MODEL FOR INTEGRATED FLIGHT/PROPULSION OPTIMAL CONTROL

The real-time capability of integrated flight/propulsion optimal control （IFPOC） is studied. An appli- cation is proposed for IFPOC by combining the onboard hybrid aero-engine model with sequential quadratic pro- gramming （SQP）. Firstly, a steady-state hybrid aero-engine model is designed in the whole flight envelope with a dramatic enhancement of real-time capability. Secondly, the aero-engine performance seeking control including the maximum thrust mode and the minimum fuel-consumption mode is performed by SQP. Finally, digital simu- lations for cruise and accelerating flight are carried out. Results show that the proposed method improves real- time capability considerably with satisfactory effectiveness of optimization.