The role of wing bending deflection in the aerodynamics of flapping micro aerial vehicles in hovering flight

Scientists have been improving the aerodynamic performance of flapping micro aerial vehicles by drawing inspiration from birds and insect flight. In this research study, first, the flapping mechanism of the black-headed gull is designed and then it is constructed in order to investigate the effects...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part G, Journal of aerospace engineering Journal of aerospace engineering, 2019-08, Vol.233 (10), p.3749-3761
Main Authors: Forouzi Feshalami, Behzad, Djavareshkian, MH, Zaree, AH, Yousefi, Masoud, Mehraban, AA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerodynamics
Angle of attack
Bending
Camber
Deflection
Flapping wings
Hovering flight
Insects
Micro air vehicles (MAV)
Military strategy
Power consumption
Rigid wings
Wind tunnels
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Summary:Scientists have been improving the aerodynamic performance of flapping micro aerial vehicles by drawing inspiration from birds and insect flight. In this research study, first, the flapping mechanism of the black-headed gull is designed and then it is constructed in order to investigate the effects of wing bending deflection on the aerodynamic performance. Thrust generation, power consumption and power loading are considered as performance parameters. Three wings representing different underlying structures, namely flexible membrane, rigid membrane and airfoil, are fabricated with the same planform to investigate the roles of flexibility, thickness and camber. Experiments are performed for flapping frequencies ranging from 1.5 Hz to 6 Hz, 10 degrees angle of attack and no wind tunnel velocity (hovering flight). The results indicate that the aerodynamic performance is improved by using the bending deflection mechanism in comparison with the simple flapping mechanism. Moreover, we can conclude that the performance of the airfoil wing is superior to flexible and rigid wings.
ISSN:0954-4100
2041-3025
DOI:10.1177/0954410018806081