2026-09-19T18:44:30Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/545302022-01-13T07:54:36Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131024
Anette E. Hosoi.
Cole, Sarah Elizabeth, S. B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
2010-04-28T16:57:15Z
2010-04-28T16:57:15Z
2009
2009
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/54530
565894774
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2009.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 30).
In the realm of systems with Reynolds numbers less than 1, swimming is a difficult task. Viscous forces from the fluid dominate inertial forces. In order to propel itself, a mechanism must be designed to overcome the viscous forces from the fluid and satisfy the non-reciprocal, cyclic motion requirements of the Scallop Theorem. Furthermore, a swimmer must employ one of the three mechanisms stated by Purcell to be capable of swimming at low Reynolds number, a three link swimmer, a corkscrew, or a flexible tail. Three devices utilizing the flexible-tail paradigm of swimming were tested using silicon oil to simulate a Reynolds number of approximately 0.6. Design parameters were uncovered which determine the successfulness of the swimmer and can be used for creating future successful flexible-tail swimmers.
by Sarah Elizabeth Cole.
S.B.
30 p.
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. theses are protected by
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http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Mechanical Engineering.
Design of two-tailed swimmer to swim at low-Reynolds number
Thesis
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Publication
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<Abstract>In the realm of systems with Reynolds numbers less than 1, swimming is a difficult task. Viscous forces from the fluid dominate inertial forces. In order to propel itself, a mechanism must be designed to overcome the viscous forces from the fluid and satisfy the non-reciprocal, cyclic motion requirements of the Scallop Theorem. Furthermore, a swimmer must employ one of the three mechanisms stated by Purcell to be capable of swimming at low Reynolds number, a three link swimmer, a corkscrew, or a flexible tail. Three devices utilizing the flexible-tail paradigm of swimming were tested using silicon oil to simulate a Reynolds number of approximately 0.6. Design parameters were uncovered which determine the successfulness of the swimmer and can be used for creating future successful flexible-tail swimmers.</Abstract>
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