FISH AND SHIPS: CAN FISH INSPIRED PROPULSION OUTPERFORM TRADITIONAL PROPULSION BASED SYSTEMS? IN: MARINE TECHNOLOGY IV

Fish propulsion mechanisms are becoming a major research topic. The aim is to better understand the reasons for the high swimming abilities of marine creatures, and to investigate the possibility of applying fish-like propulsion to surface and underwater vehicles. In this paper, 2 mathematical models were developed and applied to predict thrust in oscillating tail propulsion. A fish prototype and thrust measuring equipment were developed in order to assess the accuracy and reliability of the analytical models used. Findings and comparison results are discussed.