Date of Award

May 2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Engineering

First Advisor

Thomas Consi

Committee Members

Thomas Consi, J. Rudi Strickler, Ryo Amano

Keywords

Aeoliscus Straigatus

Abstract

Aeoliscus strigatus is a highly maneuverable fish found in the Indo-Pacific region. It boasts a unique head down posture and employs median paired fin propulsion to perform precise movements. The need for highly maneuverable underwater AUVs for exploration and testing drove the examination of the hydrostatics and hydrodynamics influencing Aeoliscus. To determine the stability of Aeoliscus the center of gravity and buoyancy were found. Center of gravity was experimentally located using the three plumb line method while center of buoyancy was located using two separate methods. The first method utilized the measured buoyant force, a rigidly mounted fish and a tank of water raised to displace ½ of the buoyant force. Method two utilized a microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) system to create a 3D model of the fish and allowed for computational location of the center of buoyancy. The average normalized approximation of the center of gravity was found to be 0.46 posterior to the mouth and 0.34 ventral to the leading dorsal edge of the fish. The average normalized approximation of the center of buoyancy was found to be 0.46 and 0.45 posterior to the mouth and 0.35 and 0.43 ventral to the leading dorsal edge of the fish by the micro-CT system and the experimental method respectively. Velocity, Reynold’s number and coefficient of drag were found to as a first step to understanding the hydrodynamics of Aeoliscus. The maximum observed velocity was 300 mm/s or about 22 body lengths per second, a Reynolds number of 4222, indicating laminar flow and a coefficient of drag of 0.029, which is similar to that of other fish.

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