Summary
Adding flexibility to flapping tails enhances swimming performance in terms of thrust generation and efficiency. To date, the majority of studies aiming at assessing this enhancement are concerned with the case of uniform flexural rigidity. Yet, it has been determined that varying this rigidity could further enhance the swimming performance. This study is concerned with assessing the impact of varying the flexural rigidity on different aspects of thrust generation including the beam deflection and flow dynamics along the flexible tail, and the level of generated circulation in the tail's wake.
