A minimal model of pump foil dynamics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a minimal mechanical model of pump foil propulsion for hydrofoil surfboards, capturing the dynamics of vertical oscillations and hydrodynamic forces to explain stable forward motion.

Contribution

It presents a simplified coupled second-order system model that predicts stable propulsion regimes and clarifies the roles of front and rear wings in pump foil dynamics.

Findings

Model predicts sustained forward propulsion at modest forcing amplitudes.

Front wing primarily provides lift, rear wing ensures pitch stability.

Model offers insights for guiding experiments and refining rider control assumptions.

Abstract

Pump foiling enables a hydrofoil surfboard to sustain forward motion on flat water using only periodic leg pumping, converting vertical oscillations into hydrodynamic lift and thrust. We present a minimal mechanical model of pump foil propulsion, formulated as a coupled second-order system for horizontal and vertical translation and pitch in an inertial frame. The rider-board system is modeled in reduced form, with the rider mass concentrated at the body center and the foil mass assigned to the mast-linker pivot, about which the front and rear wing dynamics are written. Hydrodynamic loading includes quasi-steady lift and drag, buoyancy, and rotational effects, including rotational lift and nonlinear rotational drag. Under simplified control assumptions in which the pumping frequency is fixed and the net rider pumping input is represented by a single effective force-amplitude parameter, the model predicts sustained stable forward-propulsion regimes at modest forcing amplitude and small positive pitch angle. In this regime, the front wing acts primarily as the main lifting surface, while the rear wing, although contributing less to vertical support, is essential for pitch stability because of its longer moment arm. These results provide a mechanistic interpretation of pump foil propulsion and identify measurable quantities and parameter sensitivities that can guide targeted field and laboratory experiments and help refine assumptions on rider control inputs and hydrodynamic loading.