scholarly journals State-space aerodynamic model reveals high force control authority and predictability in flapping flight

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (181) ◽  
pp. 20210222
Author(s):  
Yagiz E. Bayiz ◽  
Bo Cheng
Keyword(s):  
State Space ◽  
Force Control ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
State Space Model ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Flight ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Control Authority

Flying animals resort to fast, large-degree-of-freedom motion of flapping wings, a key feature that distinguishes them from rotary or fixed-winged robotic fliers with limited motion of aerodynamic surfaces. However, flapping-wing aerodynamics are characterized by highly unsteady and three-dimensional flows difficult to model or control, and accurate aerodynamic force predictions often rely on expensive computational or experimental methods. Here, we developed a computationally efficient and data-driven state-space model to dynamically map wing kinematics to aerodynamic forces/moments. This model was trained and tested with a total of 548 different flapping-wing motions and surpassed the accuracy and generality of the existing quasi-steady models. This model used 12 states to capture the unsteady and nonlinear fluid effects pertinent to force generation without explicit information of fluid flows. We also provided a comprehensive assessment of the control authority of key wing kinematic variables and found that instantaneous aerodynamic forces/moments were largely predictable by the wing motion history within a half-stroke cycle. Furthermore, the angle of attack, normal acceleration and pitching motion had the strongest effects on the aerodynamic force/moment generation. Our results show that flapping flight inherently offers high force control authority and predictability, which can be key to developing agile and stable aerial fliers.

The influence of wing morphology on the three-dimensional flow patterns of a flapping wing at bird scale

2015 ◽  
Vol 768 ◽  
pp. 240-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Thielicke ◽  
Eize J. Stamhuis
Keyword(s):  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Translational Motion ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Flight ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Wing Morphology ◽  
Slow Speed ◽  
Three Dimensional Flow ◽  
Dimensional Flow

The effect of airfoil design parameters, such as airfoil thickness and camber, are well understood in steady-state aerodynamics. But this knowledge cannot be readily applied to the flapping flight in insects and birds: flow visualizations and computational analyses of flapping flight have identified that in many cases, a leading-edge vortex (LEV) contributes substantially to the generation of aerodynamic force. In flapping flight, very high angles of attack and partly separated flow are common features. Therefore, it is expected that airfoil design parameters affect flapping wing aerodynamics differently. Existing studies have focused on force measurements, which do not provide sufficient insight into the dominant flow features. To analyse the influence of wing morphology in slow-speed bird flight, the time-resolved three-dimensional flow field around different flapping wing models in translational motion at a Reynolds number of $22\,000<\mathit{Re}<26\,000$ was studied. The effect of several Strouhal numbers ($0.2<\mathit{St}<0.4$), camber and thickness on the flow morphology and on the circulation was analysed. A strong LEV was found on all wing types at high $\mathit{St}$. The vortex is stronger on thin wings and enhances the total circulation. Airfoil camber decreases the strength of the LEV, but increases the total bound circulation at the same time, due to an increase of the ‘conventional’ bound circulation at the inner half of the wing. The results provide new insights into the influence of airfoil shape on the LEV and force generation at low $\mathit{Re}$. They contribute to a better understanding of the geometry of vertebrate wings, which seem to be optimized to benefit from LEVs in slow-speed flight.

scholarly journals Dipteran wing motor-inspired flapping flight versatility and effectiveness enhancement

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (104) ◽  
pp. 20141367 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Harne ◽  
K. W. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Structural Model ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Flight ◽  
Axial Stiffness ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Aerodynamic Efficiency ◽  
Linear Motors ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Compression Characteristics

Insects are a prime source of inspiration towards the development of small-scale, engineered, flapping wing flight systems. To help interpret the possible energy transformation strategies observed in Diptera as inspiration for mechanical flapping flight systems, we revisit the perspective of the dipteran wing motor as a bistable click mechanism and take a new, and more flexible, outlook to the architectural composition previously considered. Using a representative structural model alongside biological insights and cues from nonlinear dynamics, our analyses and experimental results reveal that a flight mechanism able to adjust motor axial support stiffness and compression characteristics may dramatically modulate the amplitude range and type of wing stroke dynamics achievable. This corresponds to significantly more versatile aerodynamic force generation without otherwise changing flapping frequency or driving force amplitude. Whether monostable or bistable, the axial stiffness is key to enhance compressed motor load bearing ability and aerodynamic efficiency, particularly compared with uncompressed linear motors. These findings provide new foundation to guide future development of bioinspired, flapping wing mechanisms for micro air vehicle applications, and may be used to provide insight to the dipteran muscle-to-wing interface.

Construction for True Three-Dimensional Imaging Display System and Analysis Based on State-Space Model

2013 ◽  
Vol 860-863 ◽  
pp. 2287-2291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Xin Yu Luo ◽  
Hui Jian Yang ◽  
Xing Yu Liao
Keyword(s):  
State Space ◽  
Model Calculation ◽  
State Space Model ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Display System ◽  
Three Dimensional Imaging ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
Space Model ◽  
Space Construction ◽  
The Cost

This paper presents a projection based on the true three-dimensional imaging display system. We analyzed true three-dimensional image display system imaging space construction, and proposed a new light emitting structure method of volume pixels (voxel), and also discussed feasibility employing local state-space model - Givone-Roessor model to compute the voxel variables. The mechanical structure is simple and the cost is inexpensive; the field angle is so larger that can display almost half a sphere except the zenith point; and the voxels constructor is easy to implement by micro controller due to the small amount of GR model calculation.

Aerodynamic Forces of Stay Cables Incorporating in Flutier Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 438-439 ◽  
pp. 894-900
Author(s):  
Ke Jian Ouyang ◽  
Yi Long ◽  
Bi Cao Peng
Keyword(s):  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Wind Tunnel Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Stay Cable ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Stay Cables ◽  
Stiffness Matrices ◽  
Flutter Analysis ◽  
Sutong Bridge

With the length of stay cables close to 580m, only inclusion in aerodynamic forces of main deck cannot reflect the actual situation during wind-resistant design. The aerodynamic forces of stay cables should be considered in the three-dimensional flutter analysis of cable-stayed bridges. In this paper, mathematic expressions of unsteady aerodynamic force of stay cable were then derived in terms of aerodynamic damping and stiffness matrices. The above procedure is implemented into NACS by an independent module. As an example, the multimode flutter analysis of Sutong Bridge was conducted by using NACS. Fair agreement is achieved between the present numerical simulation and wind tunnel test results.

scholarly journals Quasi-Steady versus Navier–Stokes Solutions of Flapping Wing Aerodynamics

Fluids ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Pohly ◽  
James Salmon ◽  
James Bluman ◽  
Kabilan Nedunchezian ◽  
Chang-kwon Kang
Keyword(s):  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Pitching Motion ◽  
Navier Stokes Equations ◽  
Wing Motion

Various tools have been developed to model the aerodynamics of flapping wings. In particular, quasi-steady models, which are considerably faster and easier to solve than the Navier–Stokes equations, are often utilized in the study of flight dynamics of flapping wing flyers. However, the accuracy of the quasi-steady models has not been properly documented. The objective of this study is to assess the accuracy of a quasi-steady model by comparing the resulting aerodynamic forces against three-dimensional (3D) Navier–Stokes solutions. The same wing motion is prescribed at a fruit fly scale. The pitching amplitude, axis, and duration are varied. Comparison of the aerodynamic force coefficients suggests that the quasi-steady model shows significant discrepancies under extreme pitching motions, i.e., the pitching motion is large, quick, and occurs about the leading or trailing edge. The differences are as large as 1.7 in the cycle-averaged lift coefficient. The quasi-steady model performs well when the kinematics are mild, i.e., the pitching motion is small, long, and occurs near the mid-chord with a small difference in the lift coefficient of 0.01. Our analysis suggests that the main source for the error is the inaccuracy of the rotational lift term and the inability to model the wing-wake interaction in the quasi-steady model.

Design of a Bio-Inspired Spherical Four-Bar Mechanism for Flapping-Wing Micro Air-Vehicle Applications

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt McDonald ◽  
Sunil K. Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Flapping Motion ◽  
Wing Motion ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Flapping Mechanism

Design of flapping-wing micro air-vehicles presents many engineering challenges. As observed by biologists, insects and birds exhibit complex three-dimensional wing motions. It is believed that these unique patterns of wing motion create favorable aerodynamic forces that enable these species to fly forward, hover, and execute complex motions. From the perspective of micro air-vehicle applications, extremely lightweight designs that accomplish these motions of the wing, using just a single, or a few actuators, are preferable. This paper presents a method to design a spherical four-bar flapping mechanism that approximates a given spatial flapping motion of a wing, considered to have favorable aerodynamics. A spherical flapping mechanism was then constructed and its aerodynamic performance was compared to the original spatially moving wing using an instrumented robotic flapper with force sensors.

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