Thrust characteristic of a caudal fin with spanwise variable phase

Abstract

In this paper, the thrust characteristics of a robotic fish with spanwise variable phase are discussed. To analyze the thrust performance of a robotic fish with spanwise variable phase, an analytical method that uses a simplified method and energy equations is proposed. Experiments were also performed to validate the developed method. The analytical results demonstrate that the thrust characteristic of a caudal fin with spanwise variable phase differs from that of a conventional plate-type caudal fin.