Effect of body roll amplitude and arm rotation speed on propulsion of arm amputee swimmers

Only a limited amount of research has gone into evaluating the contribution made by the upper arm to the propulsion of elite swimmers with an amputation at elbow level. With assistance of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling, the swimming technique of competitive arm amputee swimmers can be assessed through numerical simulations which test the effect of various parameters on the effectiveness of the swimming propulsion.This numerical study investigates the effect of body roll amplitude and of upper arm rotation speed on the propulsion of an arm amputee swimmer, at different mean swimming speeds. Various test cases are simulated resulting in a thorough analysis of the complex body/fluid interaction with a detailed quantitative assessment of the effect of the variation of each parameter on the arm propulsion. It is found that a body roll movement with an amplitude of 45° enhances greatly the propulsive contribution from the upper arm with an increase of about 70% in the propulsive force compared to the no roll condition. An increase in the angular velocity of the upper arm also leads to a concomitant increase in the propulsive forces produced by the arm.Such results have direct implications for competitive arm amputee front crawl swimmers and for those who coach them. One important message that emerges in this present work is that there exists, for any given swimming speed, a minimum angular velocity at which the upper arm must be rotated to generate effective propulsion. Below this velocity, the upper arm will experience a net resistive drag force which adversely affects swimming performance.     

Unsteady computational fluid dynamics in front crawl swimming

The development of codes and power calculations currently allows the simulation of increasingly complex flows, especially in the turbulent regime. Swimming research should benefit from these technological advances to try to better understand the dynamic mechanisms involved in swimming. An unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study is conducted in crawl, in order to analyse the propulsive forces generated by the hand and forearm. The k-ω SST turbulence model and an overset grid method have been used. The main objectives are to analyse the evolution of the hand-forearm propulsive forces and to explain this relative to the arm kinematics parameters. In order to validate our simulation model, the calculated forces and pressures were compared with several other experimental and numerical studies. A good agreement is found between our results and those of other studies. The hand is the segment that generates the most propulsive forces during the aquatic stroke. As the pressure component is the main source of force, the orientation of the hand-forearm in the absolute coordinate system is an important kinematic parameter in the swimming performance. The propulsive forces are biggest when the angles of attack are high. CFD appears as a very valuable tool to better analyze the mechanisms of swimming performance and offers some promising developments, especially for optimizing the performance from a parametric study.     

Analysis of a swimmer's hand and arm in steady flow conditions using computational fluid dynamics

Propulsive forces generated by swimmers' hands and arms have, to date, been determined strictly through experimental testing. As an alternative to these complex and costly experiments, the present research has applied the numerical technique of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to calculate the steady flow around a swimmer's hand and arm at various angles of attack. Force coefficients computed for the hand and arm compared well with steady-state coefficients determined experimentally. The simulations showed significant boundary layer separation from the arm and hand, suggesting that Bernoulli's equation should not be used to mathematically describe the lift generated by a swimmer. Additionally, "2D" lift was shown to be inaccurate for the arm at all angles of attack and for the hand near angles of attack of 90 degrees. Such simulations serve to validate the chosen CFD techniques, and are an important first step towards the use of CFD methods for determining swimming hydrodynamic forces in more complex unsteady flow conditions.     

The effect of swimmer's hand/forearm acceleration on propulsive forces generation using computational fluid dynamics

Propulsive forces generated by swimmers hand/forearm, have been studied through experimental tests. However, there are serious doubts as to whether forces quantified in this way are accurate enough to be meaningful. In order to solve some experimental problems, some numerical techniques have been proposed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The main purpose of the present work was threefold. First, disseminate the use of CFD as a new tool in swimming research. Second, apply the CFD method in the calculation of drag and lift coefficients resulting from the numerical resolution equations of the flow around the swimmers hand/forearm using the steady flow conditions. Third, evaluate the effect of hand/forearm acceleration on drag and lift coefficients. For these purposes three, two-dimensional (2D), models of a right male hand/forearm were studied. A frontal model (theta = 90 degrees, Phi = 90 degrees) and two lateral models, one with the thumb as leading edge (theta = 0 degrees, = 90 degrees), and the other with the small finger as the leading edge (theta = 0 degrees, Phi = 180 degrees). The governing system of equations considered was the incompressible Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the standard k-epsilon model. The main results reported that, under the steady-state flow condition, the drag coefficient was the one that contributes more for propulsion, and was almost constant for the whole range of velocities, with a maximum value of 1.16 (Cd = 1.16). This is valid when the orientation of the hand/forearm is plane and the model is perpendicular to the direction of the flow. Under the hand /forearm acceleration condition, the measured values for propulsive forces calculation were approximately 22.5% (54.440 N) higher than the forces produced under the steady flow condition (44.428 N). By the results, pointed out, we can conclude that: (i) CFD can be considered an interesting new approach for hydrodynamic forces calculation on swimming, (ii) the acceleration of hand/forearm provides more propulsion to swimmers, confirming that some unsteady mechanism must be present in swimming propulsion.     

The optimum finger spacing in human swimming

Competitive swimmers spread fingers during the propulsive stroke. Due to the inherent inefficiency of human swimming, the question is: does this strategy enhance performance or is it just a more comfortable hand posture? Here we show, through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of a 3D model of the hand, that an optimal finger spacing (12°, roughly corresponding to the resting hand posture) increases the drag coefficient (+8.8%), which is ‘functionally equivalent’ to a greater hand palm area, thus a lower stroke frequency can produce the same thrust, with benefits to muscle, hydraulic and propulsive efficiencies. CFD, through flow visualization, provides an explanation for the increased drag associated with the optimum finger spacing.     

Turbulence model choice for the calculation of drag forces when using the CFD method

The aim of this work is to specify which model of turbulence is the most adapted in order to predict the drag forces that a swimmer encounters during his movement in the fluid environment. For this, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis has been undertaken with a commercial CFD code (Fluent^®). The problem was modelled as 3D and in steady hydrodynamic state. The 3D geometry of the swimmer was created by means of a complete laser scanning of the swimmer’s body contour. Two turbulence models were tested, namely the standard k–ε model with a specific treatment of the fluid flow area near the swimmer’s body contour, and the standard k–ω model. The comparison of numerical results with experimental measurements of drag forces shows that the standard k–ω model accurately predicts the drag forces while the standard k–ε model underestimates their values. The standard k–ω model also enabled to capture the vortex structures developing at the swimmer’s back and buttocks in underwater swimming; the same vortices had been visualized by flow visualization experiments carried out at the INSEP (National Institute for Sport and Physical Education in Paris) with the French national swimming team.     

Body Form and Patterns of Ciliation in Nonfeeding Larvae of Echinoderms: Functional Solutions to Swimming in the Plankton?

SYNOPSIS. Nonfeeding larval forms of echinoderms are believedto have evolved repeatedly from feeding larval forms, and thesetransformations usually result in major shifts in morphogenesis.Current hypotheses on form change invoke relaxation of stabilizingselection on traits that functionin feeding, coupled with selectionfor rapid development of juvenile traits. However, comparativeevidence from 51 species of nonfeeding larvae, representing19 independent origins, suggests that body form, patterns ofciliation, and possibly buoyancy reflect functional requirementsfor maintenance of swimming performance. Nonfeeding larvae withbody lengths less than 600 µm usually have several transverseciliated bands, while those with body lengths greater than 800µm usually have uniform ciliation. A preliminary modelwhich compares estimated drag and buoyancy forces with ciliarypropulsive forces predicts that bands of simple cilia do notproduce sufficient propulsive forces to permit swimming in largerlarvae. For larger larvae, increases in areal coverage of ciliamay be required to produce propulsive forces sufficient to opposedrag and buoyancy forces and permit movement. For these largerlarvae, estimates of water velocities at the tips of uniformarrays of cilia are well below the upper limits of water movementsby cilia of echinoderms. Functional constraints on nonfeedinglarval forms should be considered, along with (above mentioned)current hypotheses, in explanations of morphogenetic changesassociated with transition from feeding to nonfeeding larvaldevelopment.     

Robot-based methodology for a kinematic and kinetic analysis of unconstrained,but reproducible upper extremity movement

Although arm movements play an important role in everyday life, there is still a lack of procedures for the analysis of upper extremity movement. The main problems for standardizing the procedure are the variety of arm movements and the difficult assessment of external hand forces. The first problem requires the predefinition of motions, and the second one is the prerequisite for calculation of net joint forces and torques arising during motion. A new methodology for measuring external forces during prespecified, reproducible upper extremity movement has been introduced and validated. A robot-arm has been used to define the motion and 6 degrees of freedom (DoF) force sensor has been attached to it for acquiring the external loads acting on the arm. Additionally, force feedback has been used to help keeping external loads constant. Intra-individual reproducibility of joint angles was estimated by using correlation coefficients to compare a goal-directed movement with robot-guided task. Inter-individual reproducibility has been evaluated by using the mean standard deviation of joint angles for both types of movement. The results showed that both inter- and intra-individual reproducibility have significantly improved by using the robot. Also, the effectiveness of using force feedback for keeping a constant external load has been shown. This makes it possible to estimate net joint forces and torques which are important biomechanical information in motion analysis.     

Comparison of 4D Phase-Contrast MRI Flow Measurements to Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations of Cerebrospinal Fluid Motion in the Cervical Spine

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in the cervical spinal subarachnoid space (SSS) have been thought to be important to help diagnose and assess craniospinal disorders such as Chiari I malformation (CM). In this study we obtained time-resolved three directional velocity encoded phase-contrast MRI (4D PC MRI) in three healthy volunteers and four CM patients and compared the 4D PC MRI measurements to subject-specific 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The CFD simulations considered the geometry to be rigid-walled and did not include small anatomical structures such as nerve roots, denticulate ligaments and arachnoid trabeculae. Results were compared at nine axial planes along the cervical SSS in terms of peak CSF velocities in both the cranial and caudal direction and visual interpretation of thru-plane velocity profiles. 4D PC MRI peak CSF velocities were consistently greater than the CFD peak velocities and these differences were more pronounced in CM patients than in healthy subjects. In the upper cervical SSS of CM patients the 4D PC MRI quantified stronger fluid jets than the CFD. Visual interpretation of the 4D PC MRI thru-plane velocity profiles showed greater pulsatile movement of CSF in the anterior SSS in comparison to the posterior and reduction in local CSF velocities near nerve roots. CFD velocity profiles were relatively uniform around the spinal cord for all subjects. This study represents the first comparison of 4D PC MRI measurements to CFD of CSF flow in the cervical SSS. The results highlight the utility of 4D PC MRI for evaluation of complex CSF dynamics and the need for improvement of CFD methodology. Future studies are needed to investigate whether integration of fine anatomical structures and gross motion of the brain and/or spinal cord into the computational model will lead to a better agreement between the two techniques.     

On hydrodynamics of drag and lift of the human arm

The work presents results on drag and lift measurement conducted in a low speed wind tunnel on a replica of the entire human arm. The selected model positions were identical to those during purely rotational front crawl stroke in quasi-static conditions. A computational fluid dynamics model using Fluent showed close correspondence with the experimental results and confirmed the suitability of low speed wind tunnel for the drag and lift measurement in quasi-static conditions. The obtained profiles of the hydrodynamic forces were similar to the dynamic data presented in an earlier study suggesting that shape drag is a major contributing factor in propulsive force generation. The aim of this study was to underline the importance of the entire arm analysis, the elbow angle and a newly defined angle of attack representing the angle of shoulder rotation. It was found that both the maximum value of the drag force at 160 degrees elbow flexion angle and the momentum generated by it exceed the respective magnitudes for the fully extended arm. The latter is underlined by a prolonged plateau of near maximum drag that was obtained at shoulder angle range of 50-140 degrees suggesting that optimal arm configuration in terms of propulsive force generation requires elbow flexion. Furthermore it was found that drag trend is not consistent with the widely assumed and used sinus wave profile. A gap in the existing experimental research was filled as for the first time the entire arm lift and drag was measured across the entire stroke range.     

Optimal control simulations reveal mechanisms by which arm movement improves standing long jump performance

Optimal control simulations of the standing long jump were developed to gain insight into the mechanisms of enhanced performance due to arm motion. The activations that maximize standing long jump distance of a joint torque actuated model were determined for jumps with free and restricted arm movement. The simulated jump distance was 40 cm greater when arm movement was free (2.00 m) than when it was restricted (1.60 m). The majority of the performance improvement in the free arm jump was due to the 15% increase (3.30 vs. 2.86 m/s) in the take-off velocity of the center of gravity. Some of the performance improvement in the free arm jump was attributable to the ability of the jumper to swing the arms backwards during the flight phase to alleviate excessive forward rotation and position the body segments properly for landing. In restricted arm jumps, the excessive forward rotation was avoided by "holding back" during the propulsive phase and reducing the activation levels of the ankle, knee, and hip joint torque actuators. In addition, swinging the arm segments allowed the lower body joint torque actuators to perform 26 J more work in the free arm jump. However, the most significant contribution to developing greater take-off velocity came from the additional 80 J work done by the shoulder actuator in the jump with free arm movement.     

Computation of Unsteady Flow Past a Biomimetic Fin

The unsteady hydrodynamics of a biomimetic fin attached to a cylindrical body has been studied numerically using a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulator based on an in-house solver of the Navier-Stokes equations, combined with a recently developed multi-block, overset grid method. The fin-body CFD model is based on a mechanical pectoral fin device, which consists of a cylindrical body and an asymmetric fin and can mimic flapping, rowing and feathering motions of the pectoral fins in fishes. First the multi-block, overset grid method incorporated into the NS solver was verified through an extensive study of unsteady flows past a single fin undergoing rowing and feathering motion. Then unsteady flows past the biomimetic fin-body model undergoing the same motions were computed and compared with the measurements of forces of the mechanical pectoral fin, which shows good agreement in both time-varying and time-averaged hydrodynamic forces. The relationship between force generation and vortex dynamics points to the importance of the match in fin kinematics between power and recovery strokes and implies that an optimal selection of parameters of phase lags between and amplitudes of rowing and feathering motions can improve the performance of labriform propulsion in terms of either maximum force generation or minimum mechanical power.     

FLOW PATTERN AROUND THE RIGID CEPHALIC SHIELD OF THE DEVONIAN AGNATHAN ERRIVASPIS WAYNENSIS (PTERASPIDIFORMES: HETEROSTRACI)

Abstract: Palaeozoic armoured agnathans (or ostracoderms) are characterised by having an external, bone shield enclosing the anterior part of their bodies, which demonstrate great diversity of both forms and sizes. The functional significance of these cephalic shields remains unclear (they may have been a functional analogue of the vertebral column, or merely afforded protection). Here we assess the importance of the cephalic shield in terms of locomotion. In order to do this, we have studied flow patterns of the Devonian heterostracan Errivaspis waynensis ( White, 1935 ), using an anatomically correct model of E. waynensis positioned at different pitching angles. The fluid flow was visualised in a wind tunnel, using planar light sheet techniques, adding vaporised propylene glycol to the fluid. The flow pattern over the cephalic shield of Errivaspis is dominated by the formation of leading‐edge vortices (LEVs). When the model was positioned at angles of attack of ‐2 degrees or higher a pair of nearly symmetrical, counter‐rotating primary vortices were produced, which flowed downstream over the upper surface of the cephalic shield. At moderate angles of attack, LEVs remained attached to the dorsal surface, but, as the angle of attack increased above 7 degrees, vortices began to separate from the surface at posterior locations. At a high angles of attack (around 12 degrees or 13 degrees), vortex breakdown (or vortex burst) occured. The body‐induced vortical flow around the cephalic shield is very similar to the that described over delta wing aircraft. This strategy generates lift forces through vortex generation (vortex lift). Based on this analogue and knowing that Errivaspis lacked pectoral fins or any other obvious control surfaces, vortex lift forces added through this mechanism may have played a major role in the locomotion of these primitive fishes, not only to counteract the negative buoyancy of the fish, but also as a means of manoeuvring.     

Simulating mechanical consequences of voluntary movement upon whole-body equilibrium: the arm-raising paradigm revisited

Voluntary arm-raising movement performed during the upright human stance position imposes a perturbation to an already unstable bipedal posture characterised by a high body centre of mass (CoM). Inertial forces due to arm acceleration and displacement of the CoM of the arm which alters the CoM position of the whole body represent the two sources of disequilibrium. A current model of postural control explains equilibrium maintenance through the action of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) that would offset any destabilising effect of the voluntary movement. The purpose of this paper was to quantify, using computer simulation, the postural perturbation due to arm raising movement. The model incorporated four links, with shoulder, hip, knee and ankle joints constrained by linear viscoelastic elements. The input of the model was a torque applied at the shoulder joint. The simulation described mechanical consequences of the arm-raising movement for different initial conditions. The variables tested were arm inertia, the presence or not of gravity field, the initial standing position and arm movement direction. Simulations showed that the mechanical effect of arm-raising movement was mainly local, that is to say at the level of trunk and lower limbs and produced a slight forward displacement of the CoM (1.5 mm). Backward arm-raising movement had the same effect on the CoM displacement as the forward arm-raising movement. When the mass of the arm was increased, trunk rotation increased producing a CoM displacement in the opposite direction when compared to arm movement performed without load. Postural disturbance was minimised for an initial standing posture with the CoM vertical projection corresponding to the ankle joint axis of rotation. When the model was reduced to two degrees of freedom (ankle and shoulder joints only) the postural perturbation due to arm-raising movement increased compared to the four-joints model. On the basis of these results the classical assumption that APAs stabilise the CoM is challenged.     

A Forced Damped Oscillation Framework for Undulatory Swimming Provides New Insights into How Propulsion Arises in Active and Passive Swimming

A fundamental issue in locomotion is to understand how muscle forcing produces apparently complex deformation kinematics leading to movement of animals like undulatory swimmers. The question of whether complicated muscle forcing is required to create the observed deformation kinematics is central to the understanding of how animals control movement. In this work, a forced damped oscillation framework is applied to a chain-link model for undulatory swimming to understand how forcing leads to deformation and movement. A unified understanding of swimming, caused by muscle contractions (“active” swimming) or by forces imparted by the surrounding fluid (“passive” swimming), is obtained. We show that the forcing triggers the first few deformation modes of the body, which in turn cause the translational motion. We show that relatively simple forcing patterns can trigger seemingly complex deformation kinematics that lead to movement. For given muscle activation, the forcing frequency relative to the natural frequency of the damped oscillator is important for the emergent deformation characteristics of the body. The proposed approach also leads to a qualitative understanding of optimal deformation kinematics for fast swimming. These results, based on a chain-link model of swimming, are confirmed by fully resolved computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Prior results from the literature on the optimal value of stiffness for maximum speed are explained.     

Computational study of the drag and oscillatory movement of biofilm streamers in fast flows

Hydrodynamic conditions have a significant impact on the biofilm lifecycle. Not well understood is the fact that biofilms, in return, also affect the flow pattern. A decade ago, it was already shown experimentally that under fast flows, biofilm streamers form and oscillate with large amplitudes. This work is a first attempt to answer the questions on the mechanisms behind the oscillatory movement of the streamers, and whether this movement together with the special streamlined form of the streamers, have both a physical and biological benefit for biofilms. In this study, a state of the art two‐dimensional fluid–structure interaction model of biofilm streamers is developed, which implements a transient coupling between the fluid and biofilm mechanics. Hereby, it is clearly shown that formation of a Kármán vortex street behind the streamer body is the main source of the periodic oscillation of the streamers. Additionally it is shown that the formation of streamers reduces the fluid forces which biofilm surface experiences. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010; 105: 600–610. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study of the 4th generation prototype of a continuous flow Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)

The continuous flow ventricular assist device (VAD) is a miniature centrifugal pump, fully suspended by magnetic bearings, which is being developed for implantation in humans. The CF4 model is the first actual prototype of the final design product. The overall performances of blood flow in CF4 have been simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software: CFX, which is commercially available from ANSYS Inc. The flow regions modeled in CF4 include the inlet elbow, the five-blade impeller, the clearance gap below the impeller, and the exit volute. According to different needs from patients, a wide range of flow rates and revolutions per minute (RPM) have been studied. The flow rate-pressure curves are given. The streamlines in the flow field are drawn to detect stagnation points and vortices that could lead to thrombosis. The stress is calculated in the fluid field to estimate potential hemolysis. The stress is elevated to the decreased size of the blood flow paths through the smaller pump, but is still within the safe range. The thermal study on the pump, the blood and the surrounding tissue shows the temperature rise due to magnetoelectric heat sources and thermal dissipation is insignificant. CFD simulation proved valuable to demonstrate and to improve the performance of fluid flow in the design of a small size pump.     

A phenomenological approach to modelling collective cell movement in 2D

There are two main approaches to unraveling the mechanisms involved in the regulation of collective cell movement. On the one hand, “in vitro” tests try to represent “in vivo” conditions. On the other hand, “in silico” tests aim to model this movement through the use of complex numerically implemented mathematical methods. This paper presents a simple cell-based mathematical model to represent the collective movement phenomena. This approach is used to better understand the different interactive forces which guide cell movement, focusing mainly on the role of the cell propulsion force with the substrate. Different applications are simulated for 2D cell cultures, wound healing, and collective cell movement in substrates with different degrees of stiffness. The model provides a plausible explanation of how cells work together in order to regulate their movement, showing the significant influence of the propulsive force exerted by the cell to the substrate on guiding the collective cell movement and its interplay with other cell forces.     

CFD Simulation of Fish-like Body Moving in Viscous Liquid

The study of fish-like bodies moving in liquid is an interesting and challenging research subject in the fields of biolocomotion and biomimetics. Typically the effect of tail oscillation on fluid flow around such a body is highly unsteady, generating vortices and requiring detailed analysis of fluid-structure interactions. An understanding of the complexities of such flows is of interest not only to biologists but also to engineers interested in developing vehicles capable of emulating the high performance of fish propulsion and manoeuvring. In the present study, a computational fluid dynamic （CFD） simulation of a three-dimensional biomimetic fish-like body has been developed to investigate the fluid flows around this body when moving in a viscous liquid. A parametric analysis of the variables that affect the flow surrounding the body is presented, along with flow visualisations, in an attempt to quantify and qualify the effect that these variables have on the performance of the body. The analysis provided by the unsteady transient simulation of a fish-like body has allowed the flow surrounding a fish-like body undergoing periodic oscillations to be studied. The simulation produces a motion of the tail in the （x, y） plane, with the tail oscillating as a rigid body in the form of a sinusoidal wave.