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Dongyue Wang1,2, Hao Liu1,2

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Dolphin skin vibrations, or longitudinal micro-ultrasonic waves (LMUWs), reduce drag and enhance swimming speed. Optimizing vibration duration, like longer downstream-traveling LMUWs, maximizes acceleration for bioinspired propulsion.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Fluid dynamics
  • Biomechanics
  • Bio-inspired engineering

Background:

  • Gray's Paradox highlights dolphins' high-speed swimming, exceeding predicted energetic limits.
  • Dolphin skin microvibrations, specifically longitudinal micro-ultrasonic waves (LMUWs), are known to reduce drag.
  • Understanding these vibrations' role in tail-driven propulsion is crucial for bio-inspired designs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of dynamic skin microvibrations on dolphin-like swimming performance.
  • To model the interaction between LMUWs and tail fluke propulsion.
  • To determine optimal vibration strategies for enhanced swimming speed.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a conceptual two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model.
  • Integration of dynamic skin microvibrations with tail fluke propulsion.
  • Simulation of two LMUW modes: downstream-traveling (DTLMUW) and upstream-traveling (UTLMUW).

Main Results:

  • DTLMUW enhances net thrust and accelerates swimming; its cessation reduces speed.
  • UTLMUW decelerates during application but increases speed upon cessation.
  • Optimal acceleration requires longer DTLMUW and shorter UTLMUW durations.
  • Vibration cessation allows tail propulsion to maintain speed gains; increased frequency enhances acceleration cumulatively.

Conclusions:

  • Dynamic skin vibrations are key to dolphins' high-speed swimming capabilities.
  • Specific patterns of LMUWs (longer DTLMUW, shorter UTLMUW) are most effective for net acceleration.
  • This research provides a framework for designing efficient bio-inspired propulsion systems.