Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

Measurement Of Hydrodynamic Force Generation By Swimming Dolphins Using Bubble Dpiv, Frank E. Fish, Paul Legac, Terrie M. Williams, Timothy Wei

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Attempts to measure the propulsive forces produced by swimming dolphins have been limited. Previous uses of computational hydrodynamic models and gliding experiments have provided estimates of thrust production by dolphins, but these were indirect tests that relied on various assumptions. The thrust produced by two actively swimming bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) was directly measured using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). For dolphins swimming in a large outdoor pool, the DPIV method used illuminated microbubbles that were generated in a narrow sheet from a finely porous hose and a compressed air source. The movement of the bubbles was tracked …