Bio-Mimetic Millimeter-Scale Flapping Wings for Micro Air Vehicles

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Kroninger ◽  
Jeffrey Pulskamp ◽  
Jessica Bronson ◽  
Ronald G. Polcawich ◽  
Eric Wetzel
Keyword(s):  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Air Vehicles

Four-Bar Linkage Mechanism for Insectlike Flapping Wings in Hover: Concept and an Outline of Its Realization

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 817-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafał Z˙bikowski ◽  
Cezary Galin´ski ◽  
Christopher B. Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Insect Flight ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Linkage Mechanism ◽  
Actual Design ◽  
Straight Line Mechanism ◽  
Four Bar Linkage ◽  
Air Vehicles

This paper describes the concept of a four-bar linkage mechanism for flapping wing micro air vehicles and outlines its design, implementation, and testing. Micro air vehicles (MAVs) are defined as flying vehicles ca. 150 mm in size (handheld), weighing 50–100 g, and are developed to reconnoiter in confined spaces (inside buildings, tunnels, etc.). For this application, insectlike flapping wings are an attractive solution and, hence, the need to realize the functionality of insect flight by engineering means. Insects fly by oscillating (plunging) and rotating (pitching) their wings through large angles, while sweeping them forward and backward. During this motion, the wing tip approximately traces a figure eight and the wing changes the angle of attack (pitching) significantly. The aim of the work described here was to design and build an insectlike flapping mechanism on a 150 mm scale. The main purpose was not only to construct a test bed for aeromechanical research on hover in this mode of flight, but also to provide a precursor design for a future flapping-wing MAV. The mechanical realization was to be based on a four-bar linkage combined with a spatial articulation. Two instances of idealized figure eights were considered: (i) Bernoulli’s lemniscate and (ii) Watt’s sextic. The former was found theoretically attractive, but impractical, while the latter was both theoretically and practically feasible. This led to a combination of Watt’s straight-line mechanism with a drive train utilizing a Geneva wheel and a spatial articulation. The actual design, implementation, and testing of this concept are briefly described at the end of the paper.

Effect of Small-Amplitude Heaving Oscillations on the Flow Structure Above a Low-Aspect Ratio Wing

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel R. Visbal
Keyword(s):  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Dynamic Stall ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Flight Performance ◽  
Low Reynolds Number Flows ◽  
Effective Angle ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Aerodynamic Surfaces ◽  
Reynolds Number Flows ◽  
Air Vehicles

Unsteady low-Reynolds-number flows are of importance in understanding the flight performance of natural flyers, as well as in the design of small unmanned air vehicles and micro air vehicles [1,2]. The imposed motion of flapping wings or the large excursions in effective angle of attack during gust encounters may induce the formation of dynamic-stall-like vortices [3–10] whose evolution and interaction with the aerodynamic surfaces impact both flight stability and performance.

Insect-Based Hover-Capable Flapping Wings for Micro Air Vehicles: Experiments and Analysis

AIAA Journal ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 2115-2135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beerinder Singh ◽  
Inderjit Chopra
Keyword(s):  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Air Vehicles

Bio-mimetic Millimeter-scale Flapping Wings for Micro Air Vehicles, Year II

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Kroninger ◽  
Jeffrey Pulskamp ◽  
Ronald G. Polcawich ◽  
Eric Wetzel
Keyword(s):  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Air Vehicles

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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