Induced Strain Actuation for Solid-State Ornithopters: An Aeroelastic Study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Hauris ◽  
Onur Bilgen
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Solid State ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Structural Behavior ◽  
Structure Interaction ◽  
Dynamic Motion ◽  
Lift And Drag

This paper investigates the dynamic aeroelastic behavior of strain actuated flapping wings with various geometries and boundary conditions. A fluid-structure interaction model of a plate-like flapping wing is developed. Assuming a chord Reynolds number of 100,000, the wing is harmonically actuated while varying parameters such as aspect ratio and wing root clamped percentage. Characteristic metrics for the dynamic motion, natural frequency, lift and drag are developed. These results are compared with purely structural behavior to understand the aeroelastic effects.

scholarly journals Effects of uniform vertical inflow perturbations on the performance of flapping wings

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 210471
Author(s):  
Soudeh Mazharmanesh ◽  
Jace Stallard ◽  
Albert Medina ◽  
Alex Fisher ◽  
Noriyasu Ando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Linear Increase ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Drag Coefficients ◽  
Inflow Velocity ◽  
Wake Interaction ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Lift And Drag

Flapping wings have attracted significant interest for use in miniature unmanned flying vehicles. Although numerous studies have investigated the performance of flapping wings under quiescent conditions, effects of freestream disturbances on their performance remain under-explored. In this study, we experimentally investigated the effects of uniform vertical inflows on flapping wings using a Reynolds-scaled apparatus operating in water at Reynolds number ≈ 3600. The overall lift and drag produced by a flapping wing were measured by varying the magnitude of inflow perturbation from J Vert = −1 (downward inflow) to J Vert = 1 (upward inflow), where J Vert is the ratio of the inflow velocity to the wing's velocity. The interaction between flapping wing and downward-oriented inflows resulted in a steady linear reduction in mean lift and drag coefficients, C ¯ L and C ¯ D , with increasing inflow magnitude. While a steady linear increase in C ¯ L and C ¯ D was noted for upward-oriented inflows between 0 < J Vert < 0.3 and J Vert > 0.7, a significant unsteady wing–wake interaction occurred when 0.3 ≤ J Vert < 0.7, which caused large variations in instantaneous forces over the wing and led to a reduction in mean performance. These findings highlight asymmetrical effects of vertically oriented perturbations on the performance of flapping wings and pave the way for development of suitable control strategies.

Fluid-Structural Dynamic Characterization of a Membrane Wing in a Gust Environment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Khairul Habib Pulok ◽  
Uttam K. Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Fluid Structure Interaction ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Fluid Structure ◽  
Structure Interaction ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Von Karman ◽  
Membrane Wing ◽  
Lift And Drag

Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicles are applicable in a lot of areas including weather condition monitoring, surveillance, and reconnaissance. They need further development in design, especially, for the turbulent atmospheric conditions. Smart materials are considered for wing manufacturing for gust alleviation whereas membranes are found suitable for such applications, and therefore, analyzing aerodynamic properties of the membrane is important. Wind gusts create an abrupt atmospheric situation for unmanned aerial vehicles during the flight. In this study, a continuous gust profile and two types of stochastic gust models, i.e., Dryden gust model and von Karman gust model are developed to study the effects of gust load on a flexible membrane wing. One of the promising ways to reduce the effects of the gust is by using an electroactive membrane wing. A fluid-structure-interaction model by coupling the finite element model of the membrane and computational fluid dynamics model of the surrounding airflow is generated. Aerodynamic coefficients are calculated from the forces found from the numerical results for different gust velocities. A wind-tunnel experimental setup is used to investigate the aerodynamic responses of the membrane wing. Dryden gust model and von Karman gust model are found comparable with a minimum variation of magnitude in the gust velocity profile. The coefficients of lift and drag fluctuate significantly with the change in velocity due to wind gust. A validation of the fluid-structure-interaction model is performed by comparing the numerical results for the lift and drag coefficients with the experimental results. The outcome of this study contributes to better understand the aerodynamics and maneuverability of unmanned aerial vehicles in the gust environment.

Experimental analysis of fluid-structure interaction in flexible wings at low Reynolds number flows

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Serdar Genç ◽  
Hacımurat Demir ◽  
Mustafa Özden ◽  
Tuna Murat Bodur
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Fluid Structure Interaction ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flexible Wings ◽  
Flexible Membrane ◽  
Fluid Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structure Interaction ◽  
Membrane Deformations

Purpose The purpose of this exhaustive experimental study is to investigate the fluid-structure interaction in the flexible membrane wings over a range of angles of attack for various Reynolds numbers. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, an experimental study on fluid-structure interaction of flexible membrane wings was presented at Reynolds numbers of 2.5 × 104, 5 × 104 and 7.5 × 104. In the experimental studies, flow visualization, velocity and deformation measurements for flexible membrane wings were performed by the smoke-wire technique, multichannel constant temperature anemometer and digital image correlation system, respectively. All experimental results were combined and fluid-structure interaction was discussed. Findings In the flexible wings with the higher aspect ratio, higher vibration modes were noticed because the leading-edge separation was dominant at lower angles of attack. As both Reynolds number and the aspect ratio increased, the maximum membrane deformations increased and the vibrations became visible, secondary vibration modes were observed with growing the leading-edge vortices at moderate angles of attack. Moreover, in the graphs of the spectral analysis of the membrane displacement and the velocity; the dominant frequencies coincided because of the interaction of the flow over the wings and the membrane deformations. Originality/value Unlike available literature, obtained results were presented comparatively using the sketches of the smoke-wire photographs with deformation measurement or turbulence statistics from the velocity measurements. In this study, fluid-structure interaction and leading-edge vortices of membrane wings were investigated in detail with increasing both Reynolds number and the aspect ratio.

scholarly journals Computational Approach for the Fluid-Structure Interaction Design of Insect-Inspired Micro Flapping Wings

Fluids ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Daisuke Ishihara
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Design ◽  
Fluid Structure Interaction ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Computational Approach ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Fluid Structure ◽  
Structure Interaction ◽  
Dynamic Similarity

A flight device for insect-inspired flapping wing nano air vehicles (FWNAVs), which consists of the micro wings, the actuator, and the transmission, can use the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) to create the characteristic motions of the flapping wings. This design will be essential for further miniaturization of FWNAVs, since it will reduce the mechanical and electrical complexities of the flight device. Computational approaches will be necessary for this biomimetic concept because of the complexity of the FSI. Hence, in this study, a computational approach for the FSI design of insect-inspired micro flapping wings is proposed. This approach consists of a direct numerical modeling of the strongly coupled FSI, the dynamic similarity framework, and the design window (DW) search. The present numerical examples demonstrated that the dynamic similarity framework works well to make different two FSI systems with the strong coupling dynamically similar to each other, and this framework works as the guideline for the systematic investigation of the effect of characteristic parameters on the FSI system. Finally, an insect-inspired micro flapping wing with the 2.5-dimensional structure was designed using the proposed approach such that it can create the lift sufficient to support the weight of small insects. The existing area of satisfactory design solutions or the DW increases the fabricability of this wing using micromachining techniques based on the photolithography in the micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Hence, the proposed approach will contribute to the further miniaturization of FWNAVs.

Vortex-Induced Rotations of a Pair of Laterally Arranged Square Cylinder in a Two-Dimensional Microchannel

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lichun Li ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
Zhe Yan ◽  
Zhenhai Pan
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Fluid Structure Interaction ◽  
Interaction Mechanism ◽  
Time History ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Fluid Structure ◽  
Structure Interaction ◽  
Velocity Magnitude ◽  
Square Cylinders ◽  
Lift And Drag

Abstract This paper investigates the dynamic response of two freely rotatable rigid square cylinders to two-dimensional laminar flow in a microchannel. The square cylinders are laterally pinned side-by-side in the microchannel with a single freedom of rotation. Finite volume method coupled with a dynamic mesh technique is developed and validated to reveal the detailed motion characteristics of the cylinders and nearby flow structures. Under small Reynolds number (Re = 50), both cylinders oscillate periodically. The oscillate curves (rotating angle v.s. time) are symmetrical with each other but with a certain phase difference. At Re = 150, both cylinders oscillate randomly. Under high Reynolds number (Re = 300), the two cylinders both keep rotating in the opposite direction with the velocity magnitude fluctuating drastically around 1.75. Important motion details are presented to understand the Fluid-Structure interaction mechanism under different Reynolds number, including the time history of rotating angles and rotating velocities, lift and drag coefficients on the cylinders, distribution of pressure around the cylinder sides. Both pressure-induced torque and the shear induced one are obtained and their contributions to both cylinders’ rotation characteristics are quantitatively evaluated. Vortex structures and streamlines around the cylinders at specific moments are also revealed in this paper to help understanding the fluid-structure interaction phenomenon.

scholarly journals Leading-Edge Vortex Characteristics of Low-Aspect-Ratio Sweptback Plates at Low Reynolds Number

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2450
Author(s):  
Jong-Seob Han ◽  
Christian Breitsamter
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flat Plates ◽  
Leading Edge Vortex ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Aspect Ratios ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Edge Vortex

A sweptback angle can directly regulate a leading-edge vortex on various aerodynamic devices as well as on the wings of biological flyers, but the effect of a sweptback angle has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Here, we thoroughly investigated the effect of the sweptback angle on aerodynamic characteristics of low-aspect-ratio flat plates at a Reynolds number of 2.85 × 104. Direct force/moment measurements and surface oil-flow visualizations were conducted in the wind-tunnel B at the Technical University of Munich. It was found that while the maximum lift at an aspect ratio of 2.03 remains unchanged, two other aspect ratios of 3.13 and 4.50 show a gradual increment in the maximum lift with an increasing sweptback angle. The largest leading-edge vortex contribution was found at the aspect ratio of 3.13, resulting in a superior lift production at a sufficient sweptback angle. This is similar to that of a revolving/flapping wing, where an aspect ratio around three shows a superior lift production. In the oil-flow patterns, it was observed that while the leading-edge vortices at aspect ratios of 2.03 and 3.13 fully covered the surfaces, the vortex at an aspect ratio of 4.50 only covered up the surface approximately three times the chord, similar to that of a revolving/flapping wing. Based on the pattern at the aspect ratio of 4.50, a critical length of the leading-edge vortex of a sweptback plate was measured as ~3.1 times the chord.

Bio-inspired design of flapping-wing micro air vehicles

2005 ◽  
Vol 109 (1098) ◽  
pp. 385-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Jones ◽  
C. J. Bradshaw ◽  
J. Papadopoulos ◽  
M. F. Platzer
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Figure Of Merit ◽  
Ground Effect ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Rechargeable Battery ◽  
Flight Testing ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Air Vehicles

AbstractIn this paper the development and flight testing of flapping-wing propelled, radio-controlled micro air vehicles are described. The unconventional vehicles consist of a low aspect ratio fixed-wing with a trailing pair of higher aspect ratio flapping wings which flap in counterphase. The symmetric flapping-wing pair provides a mechanically and aerodynamically balanced platform, increases efficiency by emulating flight in ground effect, and suppresses stall over the main wing by entraining flow. The models weigh as little as 11g, with a 23cm span and 18cm length and will fly for about 20 minutes on a rechargeable battery. Stable flight at speeds between 2 and 5ms–1has been demonstrated, and the models are essentially stall-proof while under power. The static-thrust figure of merit for the device is 60% higher than propellers with a similar scale and disk loading.

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