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Swimming Stroke Fluid Dynamics Simulator (2D)

2D side-view swimmer driven by a real thrust-vs-quadratic-drag equation of motion: adjust stroke rate and stroke smoothness (technique) and watch how a pulsatile thrust wastes more energy to quadratic drag than a smooth one at the same average power, tracked live in velocity and energy-cost readouts.

Fluid Dynamics & Aerodynamics2DModerate60 FPS💧 Water ⇄ 3D version

This 2D side-view simulator models a single swimmer as a point mass driven by a genuine thrust-versus-quadratic-drag equation of motion, m·dv/dt = F_thrust(t) − ½·ρ·Cd·A·v². Instead of comparing different strokes, it isolates one variable: how smoothly thrust is spread across the stroke cycle. Because drag rises with the square of velocity, a peaky, all-at-once pull wastes more of the same average power to drag than a stroke that applies force continuously — the live velocity trace, average speed and cost-of-transport readouts make that inefficiency directly visible as you move the stroke-rate, smoothness and mass sliders.

⚙ Under the hood

2D side-view swimmer driven by a real thrust-vs-quadratic-drag equation of motion, m·dv/dt = F_thrust(t) − ½ρCdAv². Adjustable stroke rate and stroke-smoothness (technique) sliders keep average thrust power fixed while reshaping the pulse, showing live how a peaky stroke loses more to quadratic drag than a smooth one — tracked via velocity trace, average speed, work expended and cost of transport.

Canvas 2DFluid DynamicsDragPropulsionSwimming

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install