Trailing Edge Flexion Influences Leading Edge Vortices and Aerodynamic Forces in Flapping Wings

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Zhao ◽  
Xinyan Deng ◽  
Sanjay Sane
Keyword(s):  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Leading Edge Vortices

scholarly journals Aerodynamic effects of flexibility in flapping wings

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (44) ◽  
pp. 485-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Zhao ◽  
Qingfeng Huang ◽  
Xinyan Deng ◽  
Sanjay P. Sane
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flapping Flight ◽  
Force Generation ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Centre Of Pressure ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
High Angles Of Attack

Recent work on the aerodynamics of flapping flight reveals fundamental differences in the mechanisms of aerodynamic force generation between fixed and flapping wings. When fixed wings translate at high angles of attack, they periodically generate and shed leading and trailing edge vortices as reflected in their fluctuating aerodynamic force traces and associated flow visualization. In contrast, wings flapping at high angles of attack generate stable leading edge vorticity, which persists throughout the duration of the stroke and enhances mean aerodynamic forces. Here, we show that aerodynamic forces can be controlled by altering the trailing edge flexibility of a flapping wing. We used a dynamically scaled mechanical model of flapping flight ( Re ≈ 2000) to measure the aerodynamic forces on flapping wings of variable flexural stiffness (EI). For low to medium angles of attack, as flexibility of the wing increases, its ability to generate aerodynamic forces decreases monotonically but its lift-to-drag ratios remain approximately constant. The instantaneous force traces reveal no major differences in the underlying modes of force generation for flexible and rigid wings, but the magnitude of force, the angle of net force vector and centre of pressure all vary systematically with wing flexibility. Even a rudimentary framework of wing veins is sufficient to restore the ability of flexible wings to generate forces at near-rigid values. Thus, the magnitude of force generation can be controlled by modulating the trailing edge flexibility and thereby controlling the magnitude of the leading edge vorticity. To characterize this, we have generated a detailed database of aerodynamic forces as a function of several variables including material properties, kinematics, aerodynamic forces and centre of pressure, which can also be used to help validate computational models of aeroelastic flapping wings. These experiments will also be useful for wing design for small robotic insects and, to a limited extent, in understanding the aerodynamics of flapping insect wings.

Errata: Trailing-Edge Jet Control of Leading-Edge Vortices of a Delta Wing

AIAA Journal ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2642-2644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiang Shih ◽  
Zhong Ding
Keyword(s):  
Delta Wing ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Jet Control ◽  
Leading Edge Vortices

Trailing-edge jet control of leading-edge vortices of a delta wing

AIAA Journal ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1447-1457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiang Shih ◽  
Zhong Ding
Keyword(s):  
Delta Wing ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Jet Control ◽  
Leading Edge Vortices

scholarly journals UNSTEADY AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF MODEL WINGS AT LOW REYNOLDS NUMBERS

1993 ◽  
Vol 174 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Dickinson ◽  
K. G. Gotz
Keyword(s):  
Insect Flight ◽  
Delta Wing ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Leading Edge Vortex ◽  
Precise Knowledge ◽  
Edge Vortex

The synthesis of a comprehensive theory of force production in insect flight is hindered in part by the lack of precise knowledge of unsteady forces produced by wings. Data are especially sparse in the intermediate Reynolds number regime (10<Re<1000) appropriate for the flight of small insects. This paper attempts to fill this deficit by quantifying the time-dependence of aerodynamic forces for a simple yet important motion, rapid acceleration from rest to a constant velocity at a fixed angle of attack. The study couples the measurement of lift and drag on a two-dimensional model with simultaneous flow visualization. The results of these experiments are summarized below. 1. At angles of attack below 13.5°, there was virtually no evidence of a delay in the generation of lift, in contrast to similar studies made at higher Reynolds numbers. 2. At angles of attack above 13.5°, impulsive movement resulted in the production of a leading edge vortex that stayed attached to the wing for the first 2 chord lengths of travel, resulting in an 80 % increase in lift compared to the performance measured 5 chord lengths later. It is argued that this increase is due to the process of detached vortex lift, analogous to the method of force production in delta-wing aircraft. 3. As the initial leading edge vortex is shed from the wing, a second vortex of opposite vorticity develops from the trailing edge of the wing, correlating with a decrease in lift production. This pattern of alternating leading and trailing edge vortices generates a von Karman street, which is stable for at least 7.5 chord lengths of travel. 4. Throughout the first 7.5 chords of travel the model wing exhibits a broad lift plateau at angles of attack up to 54°, which is not significantly altered by the addition of wing camber or surface projections. 5. Taken together, these results indicate how the unsteady process of vortex generation at large angles of attack might contribute to the production of aerodynamic forces in insect flight. Because the fly wing typically moves only 2–4 chord lengths each half-stroke, the complex dynamic behavior of impulsively started wing profiles is more appropriate for models of insect flight than are steady-state approximations.

Active Flow Control for Reduction of Fluctuating Aerodynamic Forces of a Blunt Trailing Edge Airfoil

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arash Naghib Lahouti ◽  
Horia Hangan
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Control Mechanism ◽  
Active Flow Control ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Blunt Trailing Edge ◽  
Active Flow

Vortex shedding from the base of two dimensional bluff bodies is accompanied by three dimensional wake instabilities. These instabilities manifest as streamwise and vertical vorticity components which occur at a certain spanwise wavelength. The spanwise wavelength of the instabilities (λz) depends on several parameters, including profile geometry and Reynolds number. The present study aims to determine λz for a blunt trailing edge airfoil, which is comprised of an elliptical leading edge, followed by a rectangular section. Results of numerical simulations of flow around the airfoil at Re(d) = 500, 800, 1200, and 17,000, and flow visualization at Re(d) = 2200 indicate that λz has an average value of 2.2d. An active flow control mechanism based on the three dimensional wake instabilities is proposed, to attenuate the fluctuating aerodynamic forces of the airfoil. The mechanism is comprised of trailing edge injection ports distributed across the span, with a spacing equal to λz. Injection of a secondary flow leads to excitation of the three dimensional instabilities and disorganization of the von Ka´rma´n vortex street. Numerical simulations at Re(d) = 500 and 17,000 indicate that the flow control mechanism can attenuate the fluctuating aerodynamic forces significantly, and reduce mean drag using a relatively small injection mass flow rate.

scholarly journals Dual leading-edge vortices on flapping wings

2006 ◽  
Vol 209 (24) ◽  
pp. 5005-5016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Lu ◽  
G. X. Shen ◽  
G. J. Lai
Keyword(s):  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Leading Edge Vortices

Unsteady lift for the Wagner problem in the presence of additional leading/trailing edge vortices

2015 ◽  
Vol 769 ◽  
pp. 182-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Li ◽  
Zi-Niu Wu
Keyword(s):  
Point Vortex ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Present Theory ◽  
Force Line ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Planar Trajectory ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
Starting Flow ◽  
Leading Edge Vortices

This study amends the inviscid Wagner lift model for starting flow at relatively large angles of attack to account for the influence of additional leading edge and trailing edge vortices. Two methods are provided for starting flow of a flat plate. The first method is a modified Wagner function, which assumes a planar trajectory of the trailing edge vortex sheet accounting for a temporal offset from the original Wagner function given release of leading edge vortices and a concentrated starting point vortex at the initiation of motion. The second method idealizes the trailing edge sheet as a series of discrete vortices released sequentially. The models presented are shown to be in good agreement with high-fidelity simulations. Through the present theory, a vortex force line map is generated, which clearly indicates lift enhancing and reducing directions and, when coupled with streamlines, allows one to qualitatively interpret the effect of the sign and position of vortices on the lift and to identify the origins of lift oscillations and peaks. It is concluded that leading edge vortices close to the leading edge elevate the Wagner lift curve while a strong leading edge vortex convected to the trailing edge is detrimental to lift production by inducing a strong trailing edge vortex moving in the lift reducing direction. The vortex force line map can be employed to understand the effect of the different vortices in other situations and may be used to improve vortex control to enhance or reduce the lift.

Particle image velocimetry and visualization of natural and forced flow around rectangular cylinders

2003 ◽  
Vol 478 ◽  
pp. 299-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD MILLS ◽  
JOHN SHERIDAN ◽  
KERRY HOURIGAN
Keyword(s):  
Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Flow Visualization ◽  
Vortex Shedding ◽  
Particle Image ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Image Velocimetry ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
Rectangular Cylinders ◽  
Leading Edge Vortices

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements and flow visualization in a water tunnel show that vortex shedding at the leading and trailing edges of rectangular cylinders can be simultaneously phase-locked to transverse velocity perturbations when the applied perturbation Stp is close to an impinging leading-edge vortex/trailing-edge vortex shedding (ILEV/TEVS) frequency. The transverse perturbations, analogous to β-mode duct acoustic resonances, are generated through harmonic oscillations of the sidewalls. When this occurs, the leading-edge vortices are found always to pass the trailing edge at the same phase in the perturbation cycle regardless of the chord-to-thickness (c/t) ratio. Applying perturbations at an Stp not equal to the natural global frequency also results in phase-locked vortex shedding from the leading edge, and a near wake with a frequency equal to the perturbation frequency. This is consistent with previous experimental findings. However, vortex shedding at the trailing edge is either weaker or non-existent. PIV results and flow visualization showed trailing-edge vortex growth was weaker because leading-edge vortices arrive at the trailing edge at a phase in the perturbation cycle where they interfere with trailing-edge shedding. The frequencies at which trailing-edge vortices form for different c/t ratios correspond to the natural ILEV/TEVS frequencies. As in the case of natural shedding, peaks in base suction occur when the leading-edge vortices pass the trailing edge at the phase in the perturbation cycle (and thus in the leading-edge shedding cycle) that allows strong trailing-edge shedding. This is the reason for the similarity in the Stvs.c/t relationship for three seemingly different sets of experiments.

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