USING DESIGN-BUILD-TEST CYCLES TO DEMONSTRATE FREE UUV PROPULSION IN A KARMAN VORTEX STREET USING A FLEXIBLE BODY
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Authors
Florendo, Devon L.
Subjects
passive propulsion
Kármán vortex street
Kármán vortex street
Advisors
Klamo, Joseph T.
Date of Issue
2023-12
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
This thesis explored the possibility of a flexible synthetic body undergoing passive synchronization with a von K\'{a}rm\'{a}n wake to generate propulsive thrust without expending any energy. The experiments conducted for this thesis were performed in a recirculating water tunnel and used flexible synthetic bodies made from Ecoflex 00-10 silicone rubber. Calibration of the water tunnel and a load cell used for force measurements were performed prior to testing. The research effort completed five design-build-test cycles. The iterative cycles demonstrated a quick and inexpensive fabrication process, showed that the silicone rubber material used had sufficient flexibility to synchronize, discovered that direct interaction between the flexible body and passing vortices is not able to produce flapping motion in the synthetic body, and suggested that the rotation of the front portion of the body is a key factor for passive wake synchronization and thrust generation to occur. Any role that lateral translation of the body plays in the synchronization process still needs to be explored in future efforts.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Systems Engineering (SE)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Office of Naval Research, One Liberty Center, 875 N. Randolph Street, Suite 1425, Arlington, VA 22203-1995
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.