Bat wing airfoil and planform structures relating to aerodynamic cleanliness

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Bullen ◽  
N. L. McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
High Lift ◽  
Minimum Drag ◽  
Wing Chord ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Lift And Drag Coefficient ◽  
Bat Wing

In this paper we examine 12 species of Western Australian bat for anatomical and morphometric attributes related to wing lift and drag characteristics. We present values for bat wing camber (typically 6.5–9%) and its location, measurements of wing planform and tip shape (typically elliptical but with two different tip designs), dimensions of wing leading-edge flaps (typically 8–10.5% of hand wing chord but with some species having much larger flaps up to 18%) and then discuss several features related to airflow separation control. All species assessed had thin, low-camber airfoil sections, an optimisation appropriate to the range of Reynolds Numbers in which bats fly. Wing relative cleanliness was consistent with, and functionally appropriate to, species foraging strategy. The interceptors had the point of maximum camber well forward and no trailing edge wing fences, optimisations for minimum drag generation. The air-superiority bats had leading-edge fences optimised for maximum lift generation while maintaining low drag. Surface bats were characterised by their low-aspect-ratio wingtips and the absence of optimisations for either low section drag or high lift. The frugivore and the carnivore appear to be discrete optimisations while the emballinurid had a long and broad leading edge flap in combination with a high-aspect-ratio tip. We propose a range of lift and drag coefficient values for use in models of metabolic power output.

Aerodynamic cleanliness in bats

2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Bullen ◽  
N. L. McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Separation Control ◽  
Metabolic Power ◽  
Anatomical Features ◽  
Minimum Drag ◽  
Foraging Niche ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Lift And Drag Coefficient ◽  
Foraging Flight

In this paper we examine morphometric attributes of the airframes of 24 species of bat from Western Australia. In particular, we consider anatomical features of the ear, head, body and tail related to lift and drag optimisation as well as airflow separation control. We provide an assessment of the relative cleanliness of the species and a range of lift and drag coefficient values for use in metabolic power output modelling. The species assessed have aerodynamic cleanliness optimisations that are appropriate to the range of Reynolds’ numbers in which bats fly. Head/body relative cleanliness was consistent with, and functionally appropriate to, aspects of species foraging niche such as foraging strategy. Cleanliness of face and fineness ratio of head and body were found to be related to minimum foraging drag. Blending of the wing and body, the presence of a wing/body fillet and the texture of the pelage were found to be important. The aerodynamic optimisation of ears and tail membrane were found to correlate with foraging strategy. The interceptors had optimisations for minimum drag generation consistent with their higher foraging flight speed. Rather than being optimised for minimum drag, the air-superiority bats’ tails and ears were consistent with their highly agile but slower-foraging flight speeds. Surface bats were characterised by the absence of optimisations for low drag. The frugivore plus the nectarivore and the carnivore studied appear to be discrete optimisations.

Cross-Wind Influence on Low Aspect Ratio Wings at Low Reynolds Numbers

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Karimi Noughabi ◽  
Mehran Tadjfar
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Aspect Ratios ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Lift And Drag Coefficient

The aerodynamics of the low aspect ratio (LAR) wings is of outmost importance in the performance of the fixed-wing micro air vehicles (MAVs). The flow around these wings is widely influenced by three dimensional (3D) phenomena: including wing-tip vortices, formation of laminar bubble, flow separation and reattachment, laminar to turbulent transition or any combination of these phenomena. All the recent studies consider the aerodynamic characteristics of the LAR wings under the effect of the direct wind. Here we focus on the numerical study of the influence of cross-wind on flow over the inverse Zimmerman wings with the aspect ratios (AR) between 1 and 2 at Reynolds numbers between 6×104 and 105. We have considered cross-wind’s angles from 0° to 40° and angle of attack from 0° to 12°. The results show that lift and drag coefficient generally decrease when the angle of the cross-wind is increased.

scholarly journals On the lift-optimal aspect ratio of a revolving wing at low Reynolds number

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (143) ◽  
pp. 20170933 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Jardin ◽  
T. Colonius
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rossby Number ◽  
Subsequent Work ◽  
High Lift ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Axis Of Rotation ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
Convergent Solution

Lentink & Dickinson (2009 J. Exp. Biol. 212 , 2705–2719. ( doi:10.1242/jeb.022269 )) showed that rotational acceleration stabilized the leading-edge vortex on revolving, low aspect ratio (AR) wings and hypothesized that a Rossby number of around 3, which is achieved during each half-stroke for a variety of hovering insects, seeds and birds, represents a convergent high-lift solution across a range of scales in nature. Subsequent work has verified that, in particular, the Coriolis acceleration plays a key role in LEV stabilization. Implicit in these results is that there exists an optimal AR for wings revolving about their root, because it is otherwise unclear why, apart from possible morphological reasons, the convergent solution would not occur for an even lower Rossby number. We perform direct numerical simulations of the flow past revolving wings where we vary the AR and Rossby numbers independently by displacing the wing root from the axis of rotation. We show that the optimal lift coefficient represents a compromise between competing trends with competing time scales where the coefficient of lift increases monotonically with AR, holding Rossby number constant, but decreases monotonically with Rossby number, when holding AR constant. For wings revolving about their root, this favours wings of AR between 3 and 4.

A Numerical Study Into the Influence of Leading Edge Tubercles on the Aerodynamic Performance of a Highly Cambered High Lift Airfoil Wing at Different Reynolds Numbers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amr Abdelrahman ◽  
Amr Emam ◽  
Ihab Adam ◽  
Hamdy Hassan ◽  
Shinichi Ookawara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Method ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Passive Flow Control ◽  
Passive Flow ◽  
Stall Angle ◽  
Lifting Surfaces ◽  
Lift And Drag

Abstract Through the last two decades, many studies have demonstrated the ability of leading-edge protrusions (tubercles), inspired from the pectoral flippers of the humpback whale, to be an effective passive flow control method for the stall phase of an airfoil in some cases depending on the geometrical features and the flow regime. Nevertheless, there is a little work associated with revealing tubercles performance for the lifting surfaces with a highly cambered cross-section, used in numerous applications. The present work aims to investigate the effect of implementing leading edge tubercles on the performance of an infinite span rectangular wing with the highly cambered S1223 foil at different flow regimes. Two sets; baseline one and a modified with tubercles have been studied at Re = 0.1 × 106, 0.3 × 106 and 1.5 × 106 using computational fluid dynamics with a validated model. The numerical results demonstrated that Tubercles have the ability to entirely alter the flow structure over the airfoil, confining the separation to troughs, hence, softening the stall characteristics. However, the tubercle modification expedites the presence of the stalled flow over the suction side, lowering the stall angle for the three mentioned Reynolds numbers. While, no considerable difference occurs in lift and drag before the stall.

scholarly journals A vortex model for forces and moments on low-aspect-ratio wings in side-slip with experimental validation

2017 ◽  
Vol 473 (2198) ◽  
pp. 20160760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam C. DeVoria ◽  
Kamran Mohseni
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Streamwise Vorticity ◽  
Slender Body Theory ◽  
Vortex Model ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Stall Angle ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Body Theory

This paper studies low-aspect-ratio ( ) rectangular wings at high incidence and in side-slip. The main objective is to incorporate the effects of high angle of attack and side-slip into a simplified vortex model for the forces and moments. Experiments are also performed and are used to validate assumptions made in the model. The model asymptotes to the potential flow result of classical aerodynamics for an infinite aspect ratio. The → 0 limit of a rectangular wing is considered with slender body theory, where the side-edge vortices merge into a vortex doublet. Hence, the velocity fields transition from being dominated by a spanwise vorticity monopole ( ≫ 1) to a streamwise vorticity dipole ( ∼ 1). We theoretically derive a spanwise loading distribution that is parabolic instead of elliptic, and this physically represents the additional circulation around the wing that is associated with reattached flow. This is a fundamental feature of wings with a broad-facing leading edge. The experimental measurements of the spanwise circulation closely approximate a parabolic distribution. The vortex model yields very agreeable comparison with direct measurement of the lift and drag, and the roll moment prediction is acceptable for ≤ 1 prior to the roll stall angle and up to side-slip angles of 20°.

Energy requirements for the flight of micro air vehicles

2001 ◽  
Vol 105 (1045) ◽  
pp. 135-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Woods ◽  
J. F. Henderson ◽  
G. D. Lock
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Flight Mode ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Lift And Drag Coefficient ◽  
Rotary Wing ◽  
Air Vehicles

Abstract This paper describes power requirements for micro air vehicles, flying in the Reynolds number regime of -lO*. Three flight modes have been researched: fixed wing, rotary wing and flapping wing. For each mode, the literature in the public domain has been reviewed to obtain appropriate lift and drag coefficient data at these low Reynolds numbers. Energy and power requirements for the three flight modes have been calculated and an optimisation procedure has been utilised to evaluate the most efficient flight mode and configuration for a variety of specified missions. The effect of wind-speed on the optimal solution has been examined. It has been discovered that when there is no hover requirement, fixed wing flight is always most energy efficient for the micro air vehicle. However, if there is a hover requirement, the suitability of flapping or rotary wing flight is dependent on the mission profile and ambient windspeed.

Analysis of the Flow Characteristics of Two Nonrotating Rotor Blades

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. J. O. M. van Rooij
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Drag Coefficients ◽  
Wing Model ◽  
Stall Angle ◽  
Twisted Blade ◽  
Lift And Drag

The investigation focuses on the analysis of the airfoil segment performances along rotor blades in the parked configuration. In this research, wind tunnel experiments on two twisted blade geometries with different airfoils played a dominant role. These measurements were carried out by the Swedish Aeronautical Research Institute, former FFA, and by the American National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) during the Unsteady Aerodynamic Experiment. The spans of the blades were 2.375m and 5m, the STORK 5 WPX and the NREL Phase VI blade, respectively. Five span locations (inboard, midspan, outboard, and tip regions) were considered and compared with the 2D airfoil characteristics. Wing model experiments with similar blade aspect ratio were included in the research. Furthermore, the commercial computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT was used for the validation and analysis of the spanwise lift and drag coefficients at four different pitch settings, 20deg, 30deg, 45deg, and 60deg. The computed pressure distributions compared reasonably well, but the derived lift and drag showed quite some differences with the blade measurements. The lift coefficients for the sections beyond the leading-edge stall angle of the STORK blade were larger than for the NREL blade and were close to that of a wing model with similar airfoil and aspect ratio. Lift and drag coefficients for the sections of the two blades were always much smaller than the 2D results. The drag values for both blades showed quite some agreement, and airfoil and blade dependency seemed to be small.

scholarly journals The three–dimensional leading–edge vortex of a ‘hovering’ model hawkmoth

1997 ◽  
Vol 352 (1351) ◽  
pp. 329-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coen van den Berg ◽  
Charles P. Ellington
Keyword(s):  
Wing Length ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Axial Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Flow Visualisation ◽  
High Lift ◽  
Leading Edge Vortex ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
Wing Chord

Recent flow visualisation experiments with the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta , revealed small but clear leading–edge vortex and a pronounced three–dimensional flow. Details of this flow pattern were studied with a scaled–up, robotic insect (‘the flapper’) that accurately mimicked the wing movements of a hovering hawkmoth. Smoke released from the leading edge of the flapper wing confirmed the existence of a small, strong and stable leading–edge vortex, increasing in size from wingbase to wingtip. Between 25 and 75 % of the wing length, its diameter increased approximately from 10 to 50 % of the wing chord. The leading–edge vortex had a strong axial flow veolocity, which stabilized it and reduced its diamater. The vortex separated from the wing at approximately 75 % of the wing length and thus fed vorticity into a large, tangled tip vortex. If the circulation of the leading–edge vortex were fully used for lift generation, it could support up to two–thirds of the hawkmoth's weight during the downstroke. The growth of this circulation with time and spanwise position clearly identify dynamic stall as the unsteady aerodynamic mechanism responsible for high lift production by hovering hawkmoths and possibly also by many other insect species.

Vortex Generators Contribution to the Enhancement of the Aerodynamic Performances

2014 ◽  
Vol 950 ◽  
pp. 268-274
Author(s):  
Hocine Tebbiche ◽  
Mohamed S. Boutoudj
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Flow Control ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Vortex Generators ◽  
Drag Coefficients ◽  
Passive Devices ◽  
Aerodynamic Performances ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Naca 0015

This study interest flow control using a new vortex generators (VGs) shape with counter-rotating vortices, obtained by adding a new element to a configuration mostly investigated. The experiments were performed in the aim to determine the VGs answer when placed on the suction face at 10% from the leading edge of an airfoil Naca 0015 in order to improve the lift and drag coefficients. The investigations were accomplished in wind tunnel for two Reynolds numbers and geometrical vortex generators configurations. The obtained results are analyzed according to several parameters such as the VG height, the space between the same VG pair and the additional factor. The results show a profit brought by the passive devices estimated at about 28% of the CL/Cd ratio.

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