Dynamics of prolate jellyfish with a jet-based locomotion

• The vortex structures are generated by two interrelated processes.
• The starting vortex structure is initiated by the power stroke.
• The ejected fluid is entrained into the starting vortex, growing the structure size.
• The Froude propulsion efficiency increases as the vortex formation number increases.

Swimming jellyfish deliver momentum to the surrounding fluid in the form of vortices. A three-dimensional computational model was adopted to investigate the characteristic flow patterns produced by jellyfish with a jet-based locomotion and the process of vortex generation. The interaction between jellyfish and the surrounding fluid may be simulated using the immersed boundary method. The vortex structures generated in the wake were elucidated in detail. The vortices were formed due to the contraction and expansion of the elastic bell. A dimensionless temporal parameter was employed to analyze the vortex formation process. During the early stage of contraction, the vortices were dominantly generated by the stroke. The ejected fluid from the inside of the bell was then entrained into the vortices, thereby decreasing the vorticity at the core and increasing the total circulation within the vortex ring. The Froude propulsion efficiency increased as the vortex formation number increased, implying that the propulsion in the way of growing the vortex structures was favorable in terms of the efficiency.