scholarly journals A chordwise offset of the wing-pitch axis enhances rotational aerodynamic forces on insect wings: a numerical study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (155) ◽  
pp. 20190118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter G. van Veen ◽  
Johan L. van Leeuwen ◽  
Florian T. Muijres
Keyword(s):  
Flight Control ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Rotational Force ◽  
Wing Motion ◽  
Forward Stroke ◽  
Insect Wings ◽  
Force Mechanism ◽  
Numerical Parametric Study

Most flying animals produce aerodynamic forces by flapping their wings back and forth with a complex wingbeat pattern. The fluid dynamics that underlies this motion has been divided into separate aerodynamic mechanisms of which rotational lift, that results from fast wing pitch rotations, is particularly important for flight control and manoeuvrability. This rotational force mechanism has been modelled using Kutta–Joukowski theory, which combines the forward stroke motion of the wing with the fast pitch motion to compute forces. Recent studies, however, suggest that hovering insects can produce rotational forces at stroke reversal, without a forward motion of the wing. We have conducted a broad numerical parametric study over a range of wing morphologies and wing kinematics to show that rotational force production depends on two mechanisms: (i) conventional Kutta–Joukowski-based rotational forces and (ii) a rotational force mechanism that enables insects with an offset of the pitch axis relative to the wing's chordwise symmetry axis to generate rotational forces in the absence of forward wing motion. Because flying animals produce control actions frequently near stroke reversal, this pitch-axis-offset dependent aerodynamic mechanism may be particularly important for understanding control and manoeuvrability in natural flyers.

scholarly journals Biomechanical basis of wing and haltere coordination in flies

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. 1481-1486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanvi Deora ◽  
Amit Kumar Singh ◽  
Sanjay P. Sane
Keyword(s):  
Flight Control ◽  
Motor System ◽  
Sensory Feedback ◽  
Phase Synchronization ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Wing Motion ◽  
Clutch System ◽  
Biomechanical Features ◽  
Ecological Habitats

The spectacular success and diversification of insects rests critically on two major evolutionary adaptations. First, the evolution of flight, which enhanced the ability of insects to colonize novel ecological habitats, evade predators, or hunt prey; and second, the miniaturization of their body size, which profoundly influenced all aspects of their biology from development to behavior. However, miniaturization imposes steep demands on the flight system because smaller insects must flap their wings at higher frequencies to generate sufficient aerodynamic forces to stay aloft; it also poses challenges to the sensorimotor system because precise control of wing kinematics and body trajectories requires fast sensory feedback. These tradeoffs are best studied in Dipteran flies in which rapid mechanosensory feedback to wing motor system is provided by halteres, reduced hind wings that evolved into gyroscopic sensors. Halteres oscillate at the same frequency as and precisely antiphase to the wings; they detect body rotations during flight, thus providing feedback that is essential for controlling wing motion during aerial maneuvers. Although tight phase synchrony between halteres and wings is essential for providing proper timing cues, the mechanisms underlying this coordination are not well understood. Here, we identify specific mechanical linkages within the thorax that passively mediate both wing–wing and wing–haltere phase synchronization. We demonstrate that the wing hinge must possess a clutch system that enables flies to independently engage or disengage each wing from the mechanically linked thorax. In concert with a previously described gearbox located within the wing hinge, the clutch system enables independent control of each wing. These biomechanical features are essential for flight control in flies.

scholarly journals A Numerical Study of the Sound and Force Production of Flexible Insect Wings

Fluids ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biao Geng ◽  
Xudong Zheng ◽  
Qian Xue ◽  
Geng Liu ◽  
Haibo Dong
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Normal Component ◽  
Splitting Method ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Gradual Change ◽  
Pressure Force ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Force Coefficients ◽  
Reported Data

We numerically solved the acoustic and flow field around cicada wing models with parametrically varied flexibility using the hydrodynamic/acoustic splitting method. We observed a gradual change of sound directivity with flexibility. We found that flexible wings generally produce lower sound due to reduced aerodynamic forces, which were further found to scale with the dynamic pressure force defined as the integration of dynamic pressure over the wing area. Unlike conventional scaling where the incoming flow velocity is used as the reference to calculate the force coefficients, here only the normal component of the relative velocity of the wing to the flow was used to calculate the dynamic pressure, putting kinematic factors into the dynamic pressure force and leaving the more fundamental physics to the force coefficients. A high correlation was found between the aerodynamic forces and the dynamic pressure. The scaling is also supported by previously reported data of revolving wing experiments.

Numerical study of geometric morphing wings of the 1303 UCAV

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
B. Nugroho ◽  
J. Brett ◽  
B.T. Bleckly ◽  
R.C. Chin
Keyword(s):  
Flight Control ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Morphing Wing ◽  
Rolling Moment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Morphing Wings ◽  
Wing Geometry ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Wing Morphing

ABSTRACT Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) are believed by many to be the future of aerial strike/reconnaissance capability. This belief led to the design of the UCAV 1303 by Boeing Phantom Works and the US Airforce Lab in the late 1990s. Because UCAV 1303 is expected to take on a wide range of mission roles that are risky for human pilots, it needs to be highly adaptable. Geometric morphing can provide such adaptability and allow the UCAV 1303 to optimise its physical feature mid-flight to increase the lift-to-drag ratio, manoeuvrability, cruise distance, flight control, etc. This capability is extremely beneficial since it will enable the UCAV to reconcile conflicting mission requirements (e.g. loiter and dash within the same mission). In this study, we conduct several modifications to the wing geometry of UCAV 1303 via Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to analyse its aerodynamic characteristics produced by a range of different wing geometric morphs. Here we look into two specific geometric morphing wings: linear twists on one of the wings and linear twists at both wings (wash-in and washout). A baseline CFD of the UCAV 1303 without any wing morphing is validated against published wind tunnel data, before proceeding to simulate morphing wing configurations. The results show that geometric morphing wing influences the UCAV-1303 aerodynamic characteristics significantly, improving the coefficient of lift and drag, pitching moment and rolling moment.

Lift and power requirements of hovering flight inDrosophila virilis

2002 ◽  
Vol 205 (16) ◽  
pp. 2413-2427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mao Sun ◽  
Jian Tang
Keyword(s):  
Flight Control ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
The Body ◽  
Drosophila Virilis ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Hovering Flight ◽  
Power Expenditure ◽  
The Mean

SUMMARYThe lift and power requirements for hovering flight in Drosophila virilis were studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved numerically. The solution provided the flow velocity and pressure fields, from which the unsteady aerodynamic forces and moments were obtained. The inertial torques due to the acceleration of the wing mass were computed analytically. On the basis of the aerodynamic forces and moments and the inertial torques, the lift and power requirements for hovering flight were obtained.For the fruit fly Drosophila virilis in hovering flight (with symmetrical rotation), a midstroke angle of attack of approximately 37°was needed for the mean lift to balance the insect weight, which agreed with observations. The mean drag on the wings over an up- or downstroke was approximately 1.27 times the mean lift or insect weight (i.e. the wings of this tiny insect must overcome a drag that is approximately 27 % larger than its weight to produce a lift equal to its weight). The body-mass-specific power was 28.7 W kg-1, the muscle-mass-specific power was 95.7 W kg-1 and the muscle efficiency was 17 %.With advanced rotation, larger lift was produced than with symmetrical rotation, but it was more energy-demanding, i.e. the power required per unit lift was much larger. With delayed rotation, much less lift was produced than with symmetrical rotation at almost the same power expenditure; again, the power required per unit lift was much larger. On the basis of the calculated results for power expenditure, symmetrical rotation should be used for balanced, long-duration flight and advanced rotation and delayed rotation should be used for flight control and manoeuvring. This agrees with observations.

A Numerical Study of Single Phase Dielectric Fluid Immersion Cooling of Multichip Modules

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 (1) ◽  
pp. 000581-000590
Author(s):  
Roy W. Knight ◽  
Seth Fincher ◽  
Sushil H. Bhavnani ◽  
Daniel K. Harris ◽  
R. Wayne Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Single Phase ◽  
Printed Circuit Board ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Circuit Board ◽  
Dielectric Fluid ◽  
Multichip Modules ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Immersion Cooling ◽  
Numerical Parametric Study

Immersion, single phase free convection cooling of multichip modules on a printed circuit board in a pool of dielectric fluid was examined numerically, with experimental verification of baseline cases. A multi-chip module with multiple thermal test cells with temperature sensing capability was simulated. The commercially available computational fluid dynamics program from ANSYS, Fluent, was used with the electronics packaging front end, Icepak, employed to create the models and compact conduction modules. Simulations were first performed of an experimental test vehicle which had five 18 mm by 18 mm die, arranged in a cross pattern, equally spaced die, 25 mm between them. Two of the die were aligned vertically with the center die, two aligned horizontally with it. The board was suspended vertically in a large pool of dielectric fluid. Heat was dissipated in the die at a flux of up to 2 W/cm2, based on the die surface area. Simulation results were compared with experimentally measured die temperature values and excellent agreement was seen for the cases of one die heated and all five die uniformly heated with the board cooled by FC-72. A numerical parametric study was performed to examine the effect of die size and spacing on temperature rise. In addition to FC-72, immersion cooling in Novec 649 and HFE 7100 were modeled. Design guidelines are suggested for dielectric fluid immersion cooled multichip modules.

scholarly journals The biophysics of bird flight: functional relationships integrate aerodynamics, morphology, kinematics, muscles, and sensors

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (12) ◽  
pp. 961-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas L. Altshuler ◽  
Joseph W. Bahlman ◽  
Roslyn Dakin ◽  
Andrea H. Gaede ◽  
Benjamin Goller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flight Control ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Bird Flight ◽  
Avian Flight ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Wing Motion ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
High Elevations

Bird flight is a remarkable adaptation that has allowed the approximately 10 000 extant species to colonize all terrestrial habitats on earth including high elevations, polar regions, distant islands, arid deserts, and many others. Birds exhibit numerous physiological and biomechanical adaptations for flight. Although bird flight is often studied at the level of aerodynamics, morphology, wingbeat kinematics, muscle activity, or sensory guidance independently, in reality these systems are naturally integrated. There has been an abundance of new studies in these mechanistic aspects of avian biology but comparatively less recent work on the physiological ecology of avian flight. Here we review research at the interface of the systems used in flight control and discuss several common themes. Modulation of aerodynamic forces to respond to different challenges is driven by three primary mechanisms: wing velocity about the shoulder, shape within the wing, and angle of attack. For birds that flap, the distinction between velocity and shape modulation synthesizes diverse studies in morphology, wing motion, and motor control. Recently developed tools for studying bird flight are influencing multiple areas of investigation, and in particular the role of sensory systems in flight control. How sensory information is transformed into motor commands in the avian brain remains, however, a largely unexplored frontier.

scholarly journals Reconstructing Full-Field Flapping Wing Dynamics from Sparse Measurements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Johns ◽  
Lisa Davis ◽  
Mark Jankauski
Keyword(s):  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Energetic Efficiency ◽  
Reconstruction Technique ◽  
Reconstruction Method ◽  
Full Field ◽  
Insect Wing ◽  
Insect Wings ◽  
Flying Insects ◽  
Sparse Measurements

AbstractFlapping insect wings deform during flight. This deformation benefits the insect’s aerodynamic force production as well as energetic efficiency. However, it is challenging to measure wing displacement field in flying insects. Many points must be tracked over the wing’s surface to resolve its instantaneous shape. To reduce the number of points one is required to track, we propose a physics-based reconstruction method called System Equivalent Reduction Expansion Processes (SEREP) to estimate wing deformation and strain from sparse measurements. Measurement locations are determined using a Weighted Normalized Modal Displacement (NMD) method. We experimentally validate the reconstruction technique by flapping a paper wing from 5-9 Hz with 45° and measuring strain at three locations. Two measurements are used for the reconstruction and the third for validation. Strain reconstructions had a maximal error of 30% in amplitude. We extend this methodology to a more realistic insect wing through numerical simulation. We show that wing displacement can be estimated from sparse displacement or strain measurements, and that additional sensors spatially average measurement noise to improve reconstruction accuracy. This research helps overcome some of the challenges of measuring full-field dynamics in flying insects and provides a framework for strain-based sensing in insect-inspired flapping robots.

scholarly journals THE LOCUST TEGULA: SIGNIFICANCE FOR FLIGHT RHYTHM GENERATION, WING MOVEMENT CONTROL AND AERODYNAMIC FORCE PRODUCTION

1993 ◽  
Vol 182 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Flight Control ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Motor Pattern ◽  
Vertical Component ◽  
Sense Organ ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Rhythm Generation ◽  
Wing Movement ◽  
Before And After

The tegula, a complex sense organ associated with the wing base of the locust, plays an important role in the generation of the flight motor pattern. Here its function in the control of wing movement and aerodynamic force production is described.The vertical component of forewing movement was monitored while recording intracellularly from flight motoneurones during stationary flight. First, in accordance with previous electrophysiological results, stimulation of hindwing tegula afferents was found to reset the wingstroke to the elevation phase in a well-coordinated manner. Second, recordings made before and after removal of fore- and hindwing tegulae were compared. This comparison demonstrated that the delayed onset of elevator motoneurone activity caused by tegula removal is accompanied by a corresponding delay in the upstroke movement of the wings.The consequences of this delayed upstroke for aerodynamic force production were investigated by monitoring wing movements and lift generation simultaneously. A marked decrease in net lift generation was observed following tegula removal. Recordings of wing pronation indicate that this decrease in lift is primarily due to the delayed upstroke movement - that is, to a delay of the wings near the aerodynamically unfavourable downstroke position.It is concluded that the tegula of the locust hindwing signals to the nervous system the impending completion of the wing downstroke and allows initiation of the upstroke movement immediately after the wings have reached the lower reversal point of the wingstroke. The functional significance of tegula feedback and central rhythm generation for locust flight control are discussed.

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