Can Scalable Design of Wings for Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Be Inspired by Natural Flyers?

International Journal of Aerospace Engineering ◽

10.1155/2018/9538328 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yanghai Nan ◽

Bei Peng ◽

Yi Chen ◽

Zhenyu Feng ◽

Don McGlinchey

Keyword(s):

Statistical Analysis ◽

Aspect Ratio ◽

Scaling Laws ◽

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Performance Estimation ◽

Wing Design ◽

Geometric Similarity ◽

Lumped Parameter ◽

Scalable Design

Lift production is constantly a great challenge for flapping wing micro air vehicles (MAVs). Designing a workable wing, therefore, plays an essential role. Dimensional analysis is an effective and valuable tool in studying the biomechanics of flyers. In this paper, geometric similarity study is firstly presented. Then, the pw−AR ratio is defined and employed in wing performance estimation before the lumped parameter is induced and utilized in wing design. Comprehensive scaling laws on relation of wing performances for natural flyers are next investigated and developed via statistical analysis before being utilized to examine the wing design. Through geometric similarity study and statistical analysis, the results show that the aspect ratio and lumped parameter are independent on mass, and the lumped parameter is inversely proportional to the aspect ratio. The lumped parameters and aspect ratio of flapping wing MAVs correspond to the range of wing performances of natural flyers. Also, the wing performances of existing flapping wing MAVs are examined and follow the scaling laws. Last, the manufactured wings of the flapping wing MAVs are summarized. Our results will, therefore, provide a simple but powerful guideline for biologists and engineers who study the morphology of natural flyers and design flapping wing MAVs.

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Wing Design, Fabrication, and Analysis for an X-Wing Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle

Drones ◽

10.3390/drones3030065 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 65 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Boon Hong Cheaw ◽

Hann Woei Ho ◽

Elmi Abu Bakar

Keyword(s):

Insect Flight ◽

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Indoor Environments ◽

Wing Design ◽

Thrust Generation ◽

Thrust Measurement ◽

Glue Method ◽

Controller Board ◽

Full Throttle

Flapping-wing Micro Air Vehicles (FW-MAVs), inspired by small insects, have limitless potential to be capable of performing tasks in urban and indoor environments. Through the process of mimicking insect flight, however, there are a lot of challenges for successful flight of these vehicles, which include their design, fabrication, control, and propulsion. To this end, this paper investigates the wing design and fabrication of an X-wing FW-MAV and analyzes its performance in terms of thrust generation. It was designed and developed using a systematic approach. Two pairs of wings were fabricated with a traditional cut-and-glue method and an advanced vacuum mold method. The FW-MAV is equipped with inexpensive and tiny avionics, such as the smallest Arduino controller board, a remote-control receiver, standard sensors, servos, a motor, and a 1-cell battery. Thrust measurement was conducted to compare the performance of different wings at full throttle. Overall, this FW-MAV produces maximum vertical thrust at a pitch angle of 10 degrees. The wing having stiffeners and manufactured using the vacuum mold produces the highest thrust among the tested wings.

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Bio-inspired design of flapping-wing micro air vehicles

The Aeronautical Journal ◽

10.1017/s0001924000000804 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 109 (1098) ◽

pp. 385-393 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

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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Vortices behavior depending on the aspect ratio of an insect-like flapping wing in hover

Experiments in Fluids ◽

10.1007/s00348-015-2049-9 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 56 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Jong-Seob Han ◽

Jo Won Chang ◽

Hwan-Kee Cho

Keyword(s):

Aspect Ratio ◽

Flapping Wing

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Comparative dynamic flight stability of insect-inspired flapping-wing micro air vehicles in hover: Longitudinal and lateral motions

Aerospace Science and Technology ◽

10.1016/j.ast.2021.107085 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 107085

Author(s):

Khanh Nguyen ◽

Loan Thi Kim Au ◽

Hoang-Vu Phan ◽

Hoon Cheol Park

Keyword(s):

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Flight Stability ◽

Air Vehicles

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Longitudinal Flight Dynamics of Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles

Journal of Guidance Control and Dynamics ◽

10.2514/1.55923 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 1115-1131 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Christopher T. Orlowski ◽

Anouck R. Girard

Keyword(s):

Flight Dynamics ◽

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Air Vehicles

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Design and Evaluation of a Model-Based Controller for Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles

Journal of Guidance Control and Dynamics ◽

10.2514/1.g003293 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 (12) ◽

pp. 2513-2528

Author(s):

Stephen M. Nogar ◽

Andrea Serrani ◽

Abhijit Gogulapati ◽

Jack J. McNamara ◽

Michael W. Oppenheimer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Model Based ◽

Air Vehicles

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Performance Estimation of Axial Flow Turbines

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers ◽

10.1243/pime_proc_1970_185_048_02 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 185 (1) ◽

pp. 407-424 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

H. R. M. Craig ◽

H. J. A. Cox

Keyword(s):

Reynolds Number ◽

Aspect Ratio ◽

Gas Turbines ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Axial Flow ◽

Performance Estimation ◽

Speed Ratio ◽

Test Results ◽

Wide Range ◽

Relevant Variables

A comprehensive method of estimating the performance of axial flow steam and gas turbines is presented, based on analysis of linear cascade tests on blading, on a number of turbine test results, and on air tests of model casings. The validity of the use of such data is briefly considered. Data are presented to allow performance estimation of actual machines over a wide range of Reynolds number, Mach number, aspect ratio and other relevant variables. The use of the method in connection with three-dimensional methods of flow estimation is considered, and data presented showing encouraging agreement between estimates and available test results. Finally ‘carpets’ are presented showing the trends in efficiencies that are attainable in turbines designed over a wide range of loading, axial velocity/blade speed ratio, Reynolds number and aspect ratio.

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On the multiscale quantification of fracture network geometry from lineament maps of crystalline basement units

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2103 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alberto Ceccato ◽

Giulia Tartaglia ◽

Giulio Viola ◽

Marco Antonellini

Keyword(s):

Statistical Analysis ◽

Scaling Laws ◽

Numerical Models ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Fracture Network ◽

Crystalline Basement ◽

Fracture Networks ◽

Spatial Organisation ◽

Robust Analysis ◽

Network Properties

Fractured crystalline basement units are attracting increasing attention as potential unconventional reservoirs for natural (oil, heat and water) resources and as potential waste (nuclear, CO2) disposal sites. The focus of the current efforts is the characterisation of the structural permeability of fractured crystalline basement units, which is primarily related to the geology, geometry, and spatial characteristics of fracture networks. Fracture network properties may be scale&#8211;dependent or independent. Thus, a multi&#8211;scale characterisation of fracture networks is usually recommended to quantify the scale&#8211;variability of properties and, eventually, the related predictive scaling laws. Fracture lineament maps are schematic representations of fracture distributions obtained from either manual or automated interpretation of 2D digital models of the earth surface at different scales. From the quantitative analysis on fracture lineament maps, we can retrieve invaluable information on the scale&#8211;dependence of fracture network properties.Here we present the results of the quantification of fracture network and fracture set properties (orientation, length, spacing, spatial organisation) from multi&#8211; (outcrop to regional) scale 2D lineament maps of two crystalline basement study areas of Western Norway (B&#248;mlo island and Kr&#229;kenes). Lineament maps were obtained from the manual interpretation of orthophotos and 2D digital terrain models retrieved from UAV&#8211;drone and LiDAR surveys.Analyses aimed at the quantification of: (i) scaling laws for fracture length cumulative distributions, defined through a statistically&#8211;robust fitting method (Maximum Likelihood Estimations coupled with Kolmogorov&#8211;Smirnov tests); (ii) variability of orientation sets as a function of scale; (iii) spatial organisation of fracture sets among scales; (iv) fractal characteristics of fracture networks (fractal exponent). Results suggest that: (i) a statistical analysis considering variable censoring and truncation effects allows to confidently define the best&#8211;fitting scaling laws; (ii) the analysis of orientation variability of fracture sets among different scales may provide important constraints about the geometrical complexity of fracture and fault zones; (iii) the statistical analysis of 2D spacing variability and fracture intensity can be adopted to quantify fracture spatial organisation at different scales.A statistically robust analysis of the scaling laws, length distributions, spacing, and spatial organisation of lineaments on 2D maps provides reliable results also where only partial or incomplete dataset/lineament maps are available. Such properties are the fundamental input parameters for conceptual (geologic) and numerical (discrete fracture network, DFN) models of fractured crystalline basement reservoirs. Therefore, a statistically robust analysis of fracture lineament maps may help to improve the accuracy of conceptual and numerical models.

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