Flow past airfoil moving reciprocally in a channel by vortex method

The velocity and pressure fields of a ship's propulsion mechanism of the Weis-Fogh type, in which a airfoil moves reciprocally in a channel, are studied in this paper using the advanced vortex method. The airfoil and the channel are approximated by a finite number of source and vortex panels, and the free vortices are introduced from the body surfaces. The viscous diffusion of fluid is represented using the core-spreading model to the discrete vortices. The velocity is calculated on the basis of the generalized Biot-Savart law and the pressure field is calculated from integrating the equation given by the instantaneous velocity and vorticity fields. Two-dimensional unsteady viscose flows of this propulsion mechanism are numerically clarified, and the calculated results agree well with the experimental ones.