Power and Thrust Comparison of Bio-mimetic Pectoral Fins with Traditional Propeller-based Thrusters

A literature review, a datasheet review, and in-house experimental data were used to obtain a real-world comparison between bio-mimetic pectoral fins and traditional propeller-based thrusters. Only power consumption, forward thrust, and propulsive efficiency are compared. Scaling trends for both propulsion forms are discussed. Traditional thrusters are determined to be more efficient than currently available bio-mimetic pectoral fins for forward thrust. However, unlike traditional propeller-based thrusters, bio-mimetic thrusters can produce multiple degrees of freedom of thrust.