This paper investigated the optimization of the hardness and oscillation mode of flexible hydrofoils using bidirectional fluid–structure interaction (FSI) to address the issue of insufficient guidance in engineering applications. A two-dimensional flexible symmetric hydrofoil model of NACA0012 with a chord length of 1 m was constructed for this research. The hydrodynamic characteristics of low-frequency flexible hydrofoils with varying hardness and oscillation modes were analyzed through numerical simulation. The results indicated that the flexible hydrofoil with a Shore hardness of D50 exhibited the most optimal hydrodynamic performance under low-frequency conditions across the five groups of hardness tests. Among the three commonly utilized oscillation modes, the inboard oscillation mode demonstrated the most favorable performance. The hydrodynamic performance of the flexible hydrofoil surpassed that of the rigid hydrofoil in both inward and outward oscillation motions; however, it was inferior in pure pitching motions. Comparative analysis of the vortex structure and velocity distribution in the flow field revealed that the inward oscillation motion effectively enhanced the kinetic energy of the wake vortex and slowed down vortex dissipation, thereby improving the overall flow velocity. These findings provide theoretical support for the study of flexible hydrofoils and contribute to their advancement in pumping applications under actual ultra-low head conditions.

To investigate the influence of the chord length and frequency of an oscillating hydrofoil device on the discharge characteristics of floating particulate matter, in this study, we take raceway aquaculture as an example and systematically compare and analyze the flow field characteristics of the hydrofoil device with different chord lengths and frequencies, as well as the sewage discharge performance of the raceway based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The results indicate that in the particulate matter discharge process of raceway aquaculture, when the chord length and motion frequency of the hydrofoil device are 0.1 W (W is the width of the raceway) and 1.0 Hz, respectively, the anti-Karman vortex streets produced by the hydrofoil device are less affected by the wall, the flow field is the most uniform, the particulate matter discharge performance is the best, and the final floating particulate matter discharge rate reaches up to 99.09%. Adjusting the chord length of the hydrofoil can effectively ameliorate flow field reflux issues, enhancing the uniformity and flow performance of the flow field. When the chord length is 0.1 W, the uniformity of the flow field is optimal. When the chord length is 0.2 W, the flow performance of the flow field is superior. Increasing the frequency enhances the flow performance of the flow field, with an average increase of 0.1 Hz in motion frequency leading to a 19.42% improvement in the average velocity at the outlet. Based on this, we recommend the use of a hydrofoil device with a chord length of 0.1 W and a motion frequency of 1.0 Hz in the raceway aquaculture system to achieve optimal particulate matter discharge performance, providing a theoretical basis and practical guidance for using hydrofoil devices to improve the efficiency of floating particulate matter treatment in raceway aquaculture environments.

A flapping hydrofoil device is an innovative device for enhancing the hydrodynamics of small rivers. While increasing the flow velocity of the river, it inevitably causes different degrees of scouring on the bank slope. This study aims to find an optimal combination of flapping hydrofoil parameters to maximize the pushing-water performance while minimizing the impact on bank slope scour, which is of great significance for the device’s application and environmental protection. Based on the finite volume method and overlapping dynamic grid technology, this paper selects the maximum bank slope scouring section as the research plane for numerical simulation. In order to expand the scope of application, the relative chord length c* (the ratio of chord length to river channel width) is introduced as a research parameter, and the influence of different relative chord lengths c* and frequencies f on the pushing-water performance of the device and the degree of bank slope scouring is systematically analyzed. The research results show that the near-shore current mean scouring force increases significantly with the increase in f and c*. The pushing-water efficiency will increase with c*, and will gradually increase with the increase in f and then tend to be stable. When c* = 1/2 and f = 2.5 Hz, the pushing-water efficiency reaches 51.04%, but at this time, the impact on bank slope scour is the most serious. When c* is reduced to 1/8, the bank slopes are not scoured even at the maximum frequency f = 2.5 Hz, and the pushing-water efficiency is 24.59% at this time. As c* decreases, the threshold frequency at which scour does not occur on the riverbank increases gradually. In addition, when c* is constant, decreasing f will significantly reduce the scouring force, but will have little effect on pushing-water efficiency. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the parameters of flapping hydrofoil are recommended to be larger relative chord length and smaller motion frequency combinations.

The flapping hydrofoil bionic pump is an innovative hydrodynamic device that utilizes flapping hydrofoil technology. Flapping hydrofoil bionic pumps are crucial in addressing issues like inadequate river hydropower and limited water purification capabilities in flat river network regions. Optimizing the foil characteristics is essential for enhancing the hydrodynamic efficiency of the flapping hydrofoil bionic pump. This study investigates the impact of foil camber parameters on the hydrodynamic performance of swing-type asymmetric flapping bionic pumps. The NACA series standard foils with varying cambers are analyzed using the overlapping grid technology and finite volume method. The thrust coefficient, flow rate, pumping efficiency, and flow field structure of the flapping hydrofoil bionic pump are examined under pressure inlet conditions with the foil camber. The findings indicate that increasing the foil’s curvature within a specific range can greatly enhance the maximum values of thrust coefficient, propulsive efficiency, and pumping efficiency of the flapping hydrofoil bionic pump. Specifically, when the foil curvature is 6%c, the maximum value of the instantaneous thrust coefficient of the flapping hydrofoil bionic pump is significantly improved by 31.25% compared to the symmetric foil type under the condition of an oscillating frequency of f = 1 HZ. The flapping hydrofoil bionic pump achieves its maximum pumping efficiency when the oscillation frequency is within the range of f ≤ 2.5 Hz. This efficiency is 11.7% greater than that of the symmetric foil, and it occurs when the foil curvature is 8%c. Within the frequency range of f > 2.5 Hz, the flapping hydrofoil bionic pump that has a foil curvature of 6%c exhibits the highest enhancement in pumping efficiency. It achieves a maximum increase of 12.8% compared to the symmetric foil type. Nevertheless, the average head was less than 0.4 m, making it suitable for ultra-low-head applications.

In order to study the effect of the pumping depth and pumping frequency of the flapping hydrofoil device on suspended solids in the waters, this paper takes raceway aquaculture as an example, and introduces a flapping hydrofoil device to improve the discharge of suspended solids in the raceway, in response to the problem of the deposition of suspended solids from fish faeces and bait residues in water. The CFD method was used to compare and analyze the discharge of suspended solids at different pumping depths, and the combined effect of the two was studied according to different combinations of pumping frequency and pumping depth. The results proved that the flapping hydrofoil motion can improve the bottom hydrodynamic insufficiency in ecological waters and thus enhance the discharge effect of suspended particles in water. In addition, the pumping depth of the flapping hydrofoil is too deep for the movement to be disturbed by the bottom surface, while the thrust generated by the flapping hydrofoil is weakened if the depth is too shallow. When the pump water depth is 1.1 H, the reversed Kármán vortex street is more stable under the balancing effect of the bottom surface and gravity, and the rate curve of the flapping hydrofoil acting on the discharge of suspended particles is better. From our comprehensive consideration of the joint effect of the pumping depth and pumping frequency, we recommend the use of a 1.1 H of pumping depth and 2.0 Hz pumping frequency in combination to achieve the best effect of discharging suspended particles. This study provides valuable insights into the actual engineering applications of flapping hydrofoil devices for improving water quality and ecological sustainability in raceway aquaculture.

Biomimetic pumps can effectively enhance the hydrodynamics of plain river networks, improve the water environment, and facilitate the transport of sticky bottom sediment. In this paper, a biomimetic pump equipped with an NACA0012 wing profile was used as the research subject, and a commercial CFD package was employed to investigate the impact of the pump’s installation height (the vertical distance from the hydrofoil’s pivot to the riverbed) and operating frequency on the incipient motion of riverbed sediment. The results indicate that the lowest maximum near-bed velocity is obtained at an installation height of 3 times the chord length (3 c) and operating frequency of 0.5 Hz, while the highest is reached at 4 c and 5 Hz. The maximum near-bed velocity point is the furthest from the biomimetic pump when the installation height is 3 c and the operating frequency is 0.5 Hz and the closest at 4 c and 0.5 Hz. At a fixed installation height, a quadratic relationship is found between the maximum near-bed velocity and the operating frequency. At installation heights of c, 2 c, and 4 c, the effect of operating frequency on the point of action is minimal, with only a sudden change followed by stability at 3 c as the frequency increases. When the operating frequency is fixed and the installation height is increased, the maximum near-bed velocity initially decreases and then rises, being the smallest at 3 c. The distance between the point of maximum near-bed velocity and the biomimetic pump initially increases and then decreases with increasing installation height, being the farthest at 3 c. Furthermore, in this paper, we fitted mathematical expressions for the maximum near-bed velocity relative to the operating frequency under different installation heights of the biomimetic pump and calculated the threshold frequencies for the incipient motion of sediment at installation heights of c, 2 c, 3 c, and 4 c to be 1.15 Hz, 1.64 Hz, 2.85 Hz, and 1.06 Hz, respectively, providing scientific guidance for the application of biomimetic pumps in various scenarios.