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.

Vortex flows on UAVs: Issues and challenges

2004 ◽  
Vol 108 (1090) ◽  
pp. 597-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Gursul
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Unsteady Aerodynamics ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Vortical Flow ◽  
Vortical Flows ◽  
Vortex Interactions ◽  
Low Reynolds Number Flows ◽  
Wing Stall ◽  
Reynolds Number Flows ◽  
Air Vehicles

Abstract Separated and vortical flows are dominant over various unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). In this article, issues and challenges of vortical flows for future UAVs are reviewed. These include shear layer instabilities, vortex breakdown and wing stall, vortex interactions, nonslender vortices, multiple vortices, and manoeuvring wing vortices. There are also issues relating to vortical flows in certain flow/structure interactions, as well as in aerodynamics/propulsion interactions. Separated and vortical flows are even more dominant at low Reynolds number flows. The main features of vortical flows, unsteady aerodynamics, and propulsion related vortical flow isssues relevant to mini- and micro air vehicles, are discussed.

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

A review of aerodynamic studies on dragonfly flight

2019 ◽  
Vol 233 (18) ◽  
pp. 6519-6537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erfan Salami ◽  
Thomas A Ward ◽  
Elham Montazer ◽  
Nik Nazri Nik Ghazali
Keyword(s):  
Web Of Science ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Flight Performance ◽  
Aerodynamic Design ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Dragonfly Wing ◽  
Thomson Reuters ◽  
Gliding Flight ◽  
And Control ◽  
Air Vehicles

In the recent decades, the design and development of biomimetic micro air vehicles have gained increased interest by the global scientific and engineering communities. This has given greater motivation to study and understand the aerodynamics involved with winged insects. Dragonflies demonstrate unique and superior flight performance than most of the other insect species and birds. They are capable of sustained gliding flight as well as hovering and able to change direction very rapidly. Pairs of independently controlled forewings and hindwings give them an agile flying ability. This article presents a review of all published journal articles, listed in the Thomson-Reuters Web-of-Science database (1985–2018), that are related to the flight aerodynamics of dragonflies or micro air vehicles that biomimic them. The effects of dragonfly wing motions and interactions (between forewing and hindwing) that are necessary to generate the appropriate aerodynamic forces in different flight modes are described. The associated power requirements of these modes are also addressed. This article aims to provide a valuable reference to the aerodynamic design and control of dragonfly-inspired biomimetic micro 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.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Micro-Air-Vehicle with Flapping Wings

10.14311/526 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Sibilski
Keyword(s):  
Flight Control ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Inertial Sensors ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
The Body ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Control Algorithms ◽  
Micromechanical Flying Insect ◽  
And Performance

Small (approximately 6 inch long, or hand-held) reconnaissance micro air vehicles (MAVs) will fly inside buildings, and require hover for observation, and agility at low speeds to move in confined spaces. For this flight envelope insect-like flapping wings seem to be an optimal mode of flying. Investigation of the aerodynamics of flapping wing MAVs is very challenging. The problem involves complex unsteady, viscous flow (mainly laminar), with the moving wing generating vortices and interacting with them. At this early stage of research only a preliminary insight into the nature of the little known aerodynamics of MAVs has been obtained. This paper describes computational models for simulation of the controlled motion of a microelectromechanical flying insect – entomopter. The design of software simulation for entomopter flight (SSEF) is presented. In particular, we will estimate the flight control algorithms and performance for a Micromechanical Flying Insect (MFI), a 80–100 mm (wingtip-to-wingtip) device capable of sustained autonomous flight. The SSEF is an end-to-end tool composed of several modular blocks which model the wing aerodynamics and dynamics, the body dynamics, and in the future, the environment perception, control algorithms, the actuators dynamics, and the visual and inertial sensors. We present the current state of the art of its implementation, and preliminary results. 

scholarly journals Improving the aerodynamic performance of a cycloidal rotor through active compliant morphing

2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (1241) ◽  
pp. 901-915
Author(s):  
L. Ferrier ◽  
M. Vezza ◽  
H. Zare-Behtash
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Dynamic Stall ◽  
Marine Vehicles ◽  
Aerospace Applications ◽  
Naca 0015 ◽  
Air Vehicles

ABSTRACTCycloidal rotors are a novel form of propulsion system that can be adapted to various forms of transport such as air and marine vehicles, with a geometrical design differing significantly from the conventional screw propeller. Research on cycloidal rotor design began in the early 1930s and has developed throughout the years to the point where such devices now operate as propulsion systems for various aerospace applications such as micro air vehicles, unmanned air vehicles and compound helicopters. The majority of research conducted on the cycloidal rotor’s aerodynamic performance have not assessed mitigating the dynamic stall effect, which can have a negative impact on the rotor performance when the blades operate in the rotor retreating side. A solution has been proposed to mitigate the dynamic stall effect through employment of active, compliant leading-edge morphing. A review of the current state of the art in this area is presented. A two-dimensional, implicit unsteady numerical analysis was conducted using the commercial computational fluid dynamics software package STAR CCM+, on a two-bladed cycloidal rotor. An overset mesh technique, otherwise known as a chimera mesh, was used to apply complex transient motions to the simulations. Active, compliant leading-edge morphing is applied to an oscillating NACA 0015 aerofoil to attempt to mitigate the dynamic stall whilst maintaining the positive dynamic lift coefficient (Cl) contributions. It was verified that by applying a pulsed input leading-edge rotational morphing schedule, the leading-edge vortex does not fully form and the large flow separation is prevented. Further work in this investigation will focus on coupling the active, leading-edge motion to the cycloidal rotor model with the aim to maximise aerodynamic performance.

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