Vortex sheet simulations of interacting flapping plates

The motion of several plates in an inviscid and incompressible fluid is studied numerically, the general motivation being to understand the role of hydrodynamic interactions in mediating schooling and flocking behavior in animal collectives. The plates move vertically with a prescribed oscillatory motion and horizontally by their self-induced thrust forces. The trailing vorticity is simulated using a separated vortex sheet model. The simulations require a vortex shedding model, a model for the thrust forces, and a method to resolve the fluid motion near the plates. We discuss each aspect and apply the method to determine the dependence of the plate motion on the model parameters.