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.

Dynamic Analysis of Propulsion Mechanism Directly Driven by Wave Energy for Marine Mobile Buoy

Marine mobile buoy（MMB） have many potential applications in the maritime industry and ocean science.Great progress has been made,however the technology in this area is far from maturity in theory and faced with many difficulties in application.A dynamic model of the propulsion mechanism is very necessary for optimizing the parameters of the MMB,especially with consideration of hydrodynamic force.The principle of wave-driven propulsion mechanism is briefly introduced.To set a theory foundation for study on the MMB,a dynamic model of the propulsion mechanism of the MMB is obtained.The responses of the motion of the platform and the hydrofoil are obtained by using a numerical integration method to solve the ordinary differential equations.A simplified form of the motion equations is reached by omitting terms with high order small values.The relationship among the heave motion of the buoy,stiffness of the elastic components,and the forward speed can be obtained by using these simplified equations.The dynamic analysis show the following：The angle of displacement of foil is fairly small with the biggest value around 0.3 rad;The speed of mobile buoy and the angle of hydrofoil increased gradually with the increase of heave motion of buoy;The relationship among heaven motion,stiffness and attack angle is that heave motion leads to the angle change of foil whereas the item of speed or push function is determined by vertical velocity and angle,therefore,the heave motion and stiffness can affect the motion of buoy significantly if the size of hydrofoil is kept constant.The proposed model is provided to optimize the parameters of the MMB and a foundation is laid for improving the performance of the MMB.

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.

Equilibrium state of axially symmetric electric solar wind sail at arbitrary sail angles

This paper studies the equilibrium state and trajectory dynamics of an axially symmetric Electric solar wind sail(E-sail)at arbitrary sail angles.The E-sail is assumed operating in a heliocentric-ecliptic orbit at approximately one astronomic unit(au)from the Sun,and experiencing various dynamic disturbances like solar wind pressure,tether tension oscillations,and centrifugal forces.The study derives analytical expressions for the E-sail's equilibrium state and its maximal coning angle under small coning angle assumption.Subsequently,an improved propulsion model is developed for the E-sail in this equilibrium state.To assess the precision of these formulations,a high-fidelity E-sail dynamic model is constructed using the nodal position finite element method,where the tethers are modeled as two-noded tensile elements and the central spacecraft and remote units are simplified as lumped masses.Through thorough parametric analyses,this paper conclusively demonstrates that the operation of the E-sail at the equilibrium state can be achieved in accordance with the derived analytical prediction of the equilibrium state.Furthermore,the improved propulsion model is employed in trajectory analyses for a mission to reach the solar system's boundary.The study provides valuable insights and findings and foundation for the practical application and further advancement of the E-sail technology.