Thrust Optimization of Flapping Wing via Gradient Descent Technologies

The current work aims at employing a gradient descent algorithm for optimizing the thrust of a flapping wing. An in-house solver has been employed, along with mesh movement methodologies to capture the dynamics of flow around the airfoil. An efficient framework for implementing the coupled solver and optimization in a multicore environment has been implemented for the generation of optimized solutionsmaximizing thrust performance & computational speed.

Structural Design and Analysis of Small Flapping Wing Aircraft Based on the Crank Slider Mechanism

In this project,the miniaturization of the aircraft was realized under the premise of strong maneuverability,high concealability,and driving a certain load,and the flight mode and structural characteristics of birds were imitated.A small bionic flapping wing aircraft was built.The flapping of the wing was realized by the crank slider mechanism,and the sizes of each part were calculated according to the bionics formula.The wingspan was 360.37 mm,the body width was 22 mm,the body length was 300 mm,the wing area was 0.05 m^(2),the flapping amplitude was 71°.ADAMS software was used to simulate the dynamics of the designed aircraft,and the variation of flapping amplitude and angular velocity during the movement of the aircraft was obtained,which verified the feasibility of the mechanism.The prototype aircraft was made for flight test,and the designed bionic flapping wing aircraft achieved the expected effect.It provides a theoretical basis and data support for the design and manufacture of small flapping wing aircraft.

Development of Air Vehicle with Active Flapping and Twisting of Wing

This paper addresses mechanisms for active flapping and twisting of robotic wings and assesses flying effectiveness as a function of twist angle. Unlike the flapping motion of bird wings, insects generally make a twisting motion at the root of their wings while flapping, which makes it possible for them to hover in midair. This work includes the development of a Voice Coil Motor （VCM） because a flapping-wing air vehicle should be assembled with a compact actuator to decrease size and weight. A linkage mechanism is proposed to transform the linear motion of the VCM into the flapping and twisting motions of wings. The assembled flapping-wing air vehicle, whose weight is 2.86 g, produces an average positive vertical force proportional to the twist angle. The force saturates because the twist angle is mechanically limited. This work demonstrates the possibility of developing a flapping-wing air vehicle that can hover in midair using a mechanism that actively twists the roots of wings during flapping.

Aerodynamic Characteristics,Power Requirements and Camber Effects of the Pitching-Down Flapping Hovering

The pitching-down flapping is a new type of bionic flapping,which was invented by the author based on previous studies on the aerodynamic mechanisms of fruit fly(pitching-up)flapping.The motivation of this invention is to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of flapping Micro Air Vehicles(MAVs).In this paper the pitching-down flapping is briefly introduced.The major works include:(1)Computing the power requirements of pitching-down flapping in three modes(advanced,symmetrical, delayed),which were compared with those of pitching-up flapping;(2)Investigating the effects of translational acceleration time,Δτ_t,and rotational time,Δτ_r,at the end of a stroke,and the angle of attack,α,in the middle of a stroke on the aerodynamic characteristics in symmetrical mode;(3)Investigating the effect of camber on pitching-down flapping.From the above works, conclusions can be drawn that:(1)Compared with the pitching-up flapping,the pitching-down flapping can greatly reduce the time-averaged power requirements;(2)The increase in Δτt and the decrease in Δτ_r can increase both the lift and drag coefficients, but the time-averaged ratio of lift to drag changes a little.And α has significant effect on the aerodynamic characteristics of the pitching-down flapping;(3)The positive camber can effectively increase the lift coefficient and the ratio of lift to drag.

Dynamic performance and wake structure of flapping plates with different shapes

The dynamic performance and wake structure of flapping plates with different shapes were studied using multi-block lattice Boltzman and immersed boundary method.Two typical regimes relevant to thrust behavior are identified.One is nonlinear relation between the thrust and the area moment of plate for lower area moment region and the other is linear relation for larger area moment region.The tendency of the power variation with the area moment is reasonably similar to the thrust behavior and the efficiency decreases gradually as the area moment increases.As the mechanism of the dynamic properties is associated with the evolution of vortical structures around the plate,the formation and evolution of vortical structures are investigated and the effects of the plate shape,plate area,Strouhal number and Reynolds number on the vortical structures are analyzed.The results obtained in this study provide physical insight into the understanding of the mechanisms relevant to flapping locomotion.

Kinematic and Aerodynamic Modelling of Bi- and Quad-Wing Flapping Wing Micro-Air-Vehicle

A generic approach to model the kinematics and aerodynamics of flapping wing ornithopter has been followed, to model and analyze a flapping bi- and quad-wing ornithopter and to mimic flapping wing biosystems to produce lift and thrust for hovering and forward flight. Considerations are given to the motion of a rigid and thin bi-wing and quad-wing ornithopter in flapping and pitching motion with phase lag. Basic Unsteady Aerodynamic Approach incorporating salient features of viscous effect and leading-edge suction are utilized. Parametric study is carried out to reveal the aerodynamic characteristics of flapping bi- and quad-wing ornithopter flight characteristics and for comparative analysis with various selected simple models in the literature, in an effort to develop a flapping bi- and quad-wing ornithopter models. In spite of their simplicity, results obtained for both models are able to reveal the mechanism of lift and thrust, and compare well with other work.

Flapping Characteristics of 2D Submerged Turbulent Jets in Narrow Channels

Flapping characteristics of the self-excited flapping motion of submerged vertical turbulent jet in narrow channels are studied theoretically and experimentally.It is found that the water depth is a most important parameter to the critical jet exit velocity and the jet flapping frequency.The results indicate that the critical jet exit velocity increases with water depth and the jet flapping frequency is inversely proportional to the water depth.Meanwhile,experimental result also shows that the surface disturbance wave changes the frequency of flapping motion,i.e.the flapping frequency locks-in the disturbing frequency when the disturbing frequency is near and less than the natural flapping frequency.

A flow control mechanism in wing flapping with stroke asymmetry during insect forward flight

A theoretical modeling approach as well as an unsteady analytical method is used to study aerodynamic characteristics of wing flapping with asymmetric stroke-cycles in connection with an oblique stroke plane during insect forward flight. It is revealed that the aerodynamic asymmetry between the downstroke and the upstroke due to stroke-asymmetrical flapping is a key to understand the flow physics of generation and modulation of the lift and the thrust. Predicted results for examples of given kinematics validate more specifically some viewpoints that the wing lift is more easily produced when the forward speed is higher and the thrust is harder, and the lift and the thrust are generated mainly during downstroke and upstroke, respectively. The effects of three controlling parameters, i.e. the angles of tilted stroke plane, the different downstroke duration ratios, and the different angles of attack in both down- and up-stroke, are further discussed. It is found that larger oblique angles of stroke planes generate larger thrust but smaller lift; larger downstroke duration ratios lead to larger thrust, while making little change in lift and input aerodynamic power; and again, a small increase of the angle of attack in downstroke or upstroke may cause remarkable changes in aerodynamic performance in the relevant stroke.

AERODYNAMIC FORCE AND FLOW STRUCTURES OF TWO AIRFOILS IN FLAPPING MOTIONS

Aerodynamic force and flow structures of two airfoils in a tandem configuration in flapping motions axe studied, by solving the Navier-Stokes equations in moving overset grids. Three typical phase differences between the fore- and aft-airfoil flapping cycles are considered. It is shown that: (1) in the case of no interaction (single airfoil), the time average of the vertical force coefficient over the downstroke is 2.74, which is about 3 times as large as the maximum steady-state lift coefficient of a dragonfly wing; the time average of the horizontal force coefficient is 1.97, which is also large. The reasons for the large force coefficients are the acceleration at the beginning of a stroke, the delayed stall and the 'pitching-up' motion near the end of the stroke. (2) In the cases of two-airfoils, the time-variations of the force and moment coefficients on each airfoil are broadly similar to that of the single airfoil in that the vertical force is mainly produced in downstroke and the horizontal force in upstroke, but very large differences exist due to the interaction. (3) For in-phase stroking, the major differences caused by the interaction are that the vertical force on FA in downstroke is increased and the horizontal force on FA in upstroke decreased. As a result, the magnitude of the resultant force is almost unchanged but it inclines less forward. (4) For counter stroking, the major differences are that the vertical force on AA in downstroke and the horizontal force on FA in upstroke are decreased. As a result, the magnitude of the resultant force is decreased by about 20 percent but its direction is almost unchanged. (5) For 90 degrees -phase-difference stroking, the major differences axe that the vertical force on AA in downstroke and the horizontal force on FA in upstroke axe decreased greatly and the horizontal force on AA in upstroke increased. As a result, the magnitude of the resultant force is decreased by about 28% and it inclines more forward. (6) Among the three cases of phase angles, inphase flapping produces the largest vertical force (also the largest resultant force); the 90 degrees -phase-difference flapping results in the largest horizontal force, but the smallest resultant force.

Aerodynamic Effects of Corrugation in Flapping Insect Wings in Forward Flight

We have examined the aerodynamic effects of corrugation in model wings that closely mimic the wing movements of a forward flight bumblebee using the method of computational fluid dynamics. Various corrugated wing models were tested （care was taken to ensure that the corrugation introduced zero camber）. Advance ratio ranging from 0 to 0.57 was considered. The results shown that at all flight speeds considered, the time courses of aerodynamic force of the corrugated wing are very close to those of the flat-plate wing. The cornlgation decreases aerodynamic force slightly. The changes in the mean location of center of pressure in the spanwise and chordwise directions resulting from the corrugation are no more than 3% of the wing chord length. The possible reason for the small aerodynamic effects of wing corrugation is that the wing operates at a large angle of attack and the flow is separated： the large angle of incidence dominates the corrugation in determining the flow around the wing, and for separated flow, the flow is much less sensitive to wing shape variation.

Numerical investigation on aerodynamic performance of a bionic flapping wing

This paper numerically studies the aerodynamic performance of a bird-like bionic flapping wing.The geometry and kinematics are designed based on a seagull wing,in which flapping,folding,swaying,and twisting are considered.An in-house unsteady flow solver based on hybrid moving grids.is adopted for unsteady flow simulations.We focus on two main issues in this study,i.e.,the influence of the proportion of down-stroke and the effect of span-wise twisting.Numerical results show that the proportion of downstroke is closely related to the efficiency of the flapping process.The preferable proportion is about 0.7 by using the present geometry and kinematic model,which is very close to the observed data.Another finding is that the drag and the power consumption can be greatly reduced by the proper span-wise twisting.Two cases with different reduced frequencies are simulated and compared with each other.The numerical results show that the power consumption reduces by more than 20%,and the drag coefficient reduces by more than 60% through a proper twisting motion for both cases.The flow mechanism is mainly due to controlling of unsteady flow separation by adjusting the local effective angle of attack.These conclusions will be helpful for the high-performance micro air vehicle (MAV) design.

A simulation-based study on longitudinal gust response of flexible flapping wings

Winged animals such as insects are capable of flying and surviving in an unsteady and unpredictable aerial environment.They generate and control aerodynamic forces by flapping their flexible wings.While the dynamic shape changes of their flapping wings are known to enhance the efficiency of their flight,they can also affect the stability of a flapping wing flyer under unpredictable disturbances by responding to the sudden changes of aerodynamic forces on the wing.In order to test the hypothesis,the gust response of flexible flapping wings is investigated numerically with a specific focus on the passive maintenance of aerodynamic forces by the wing flexibility.The computational model is based on a dynamic flight simulator that can incorporate the realistic morphology,the kinematics,the structural dynamics,the aerodynamics and the fluid-structure interactions of a hovering hawkmoth.The longitudinal gusts are imposed against the tethered model of a hovering hawkmoth with flexible flapping wings.It is found that the aerodynamic forces on the flapping wings are affected by the gust,because of the increase or decrease in relative wingtip velocity or kinematic angle of attack.The passive shape change of flexible wings can,however,reduce the changes in the magnitude and direction of aerodynamic forces by the gusts from various directions,except for the downward gust.Such adaptive response of the flexible structure to stabilise the attitude can be classified into the mechanical feedback,which works passively with minimal delay,and is of great importance to the design of bio-inspired flapping wings for micro-air vehicles.

Self-propulsion of flapping bodies in viscous fluids: Recent advances and perspectives

Flapping-powered propulsion is used by many animals to locomote through air or water. Here we review recent experimental and numerical studies on self-propelled mechanical systems powered by a flapping motion. These studies improve our understanding of the mutual interaction between actively flapping bodies and surrounding fluids. The results obtained in these works provide not only new insights into biolocomotion but also useful information for the biomimetic design of artificial flyers and swimmers.

Effect of Spanwise Flexibility on Propulsion Performance of a Flapping Hydrofoil at Low Reynolds Number

Spanwise flexibility is a key factor influencing propulsion performance of pectoral foils. Performances of bionic fish with oscillating pectoral foils can be enhanced by properly selecting the spanwise flexibility. The influence law of spanwise flexibility on thrust generation and propulsion efficiency of a rectangular hydro-foil is discussed. Series foils constructed by the two-component silicon rubber are developed. NACA0015 shape of chordwise cross-section is employed. The foils are strengthened by fin rays of different rigidity to realize variant spanwise rigidity and almost the same chordwise flexibility. Experiments on a towing platform developed are carried out at low Reynolds numbers of 10 000, 15 000, and 20 000 and Strouhal numbers from 0.1 to 1. The following experimental results are achieved: (1) The average forward thrust increases with the St number increased; (2) Certain degree of spanwise flexibility is beneficial to the forward thrust generation, but the thrust gap is not large for the fins of different spanwise rigidity; (3) The fin of the maximal spanwise flexibility owns the highest propulsion efficiency; (4) Effect of the Reynolds number on the propulsion efficiency is significant. The experimental results can be utilized as a reference in deciding the spanwise flexibility of bionic pectoral fins in designing of robotic fish prototype propelled by flapping-wing.

The effect of phase angle and wing spacing on tandem flapping wings

In a tandem wing configuration, the hindwing of- ten operates in the wake of the forewing and, hence, its per- formance is affected by the vortices shed by the forewing. Changes in the phase angle between the flapping motions of the fore and the hind wings, as well as the spacing between them, can affect the resulting vortex/wing and vortex/vortex interactions. This study uses 2D numerical simulations to in- vestigate how these changes affect the leading dege vortexes （LEV） generated by the hindwing and the resulting effect on the lift and thrust coefficients as well as the efficiencies. The tandem wing configuration was simulated using an incom- pressible Navier-Stokes solver at a chord-based Reynolds number of 5 000. A harmonic single frequency sinusoidal oscillation consisting of a combined pitch and plunge motion was used for the flapping wing kinematics at a Strouhal num- ber of 0.3. Four different spacings ranging from 0.1 chords to 1 chord were tested at three different phase angles, 0°, 90° and 180°. It was found that changes in the spacing and phase angle affected the timing of the interaction between the vor- tex shed from the forewing and the hindwing. Such an inter- action affects the LEV formation on the hindwing and results in changes in aerodynamic force production and efficiencies of the hindwing. It is also observed that changing the phase angle has a similar effect as changing the spacing. The re- suits further show that at different spacings the peak force generation occurs at different phase angles, as do the peak efficiencies.

A Bio-Inspired Flapping-Wing Robot With Cambered Wings and Its Application in Autonomous Airdrop

Flapping-wing flight, as the distinctive flight method retained by natural flying creatures, contains profound aerodynamic principles and brings great inspirations and encouragements to drone developers. Though some ingenious flapping-wing robots have been designed during the past two decades, development and application of autonomous flapping-wing robots are less successful and still require further research. Here, we report the development of a servo-driven bird-like flapping-wing robot named USTBird-I and its application in autonomous airdrop.Inspired by birds, a camber structure and a dihedral angle adjustment mechanism are introduced into the airfoil design and motion control of the wings, respectively. Computational fluid dynamics simulations and actual flight tests show that this bionic design can significantly improve the gliding performance of the robot, which is beneficial to the execution of the airdrop mission.Finally, a vision-based airdrop experiment has been successfully implemented on USTBird-I, which is the first demonstration of a bird-like flapping-wing robot conducting an outdoor airdrop mission.

Human Memory/Learning Inspired Control Method for Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles

The problem of flapping motion control of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) with flapping wings was studied in this paper.Based upon the knowledge of skeletal and muscular components of hummingbird, a dynamic model for flapping wing wasdeveloped.A control scheme inspired by human memory and learning concept was constructed for wing motion control ofMAVs.The salient feature of the proposed control lies in its capabilities to improve the control performance by learning fromexperience and observation on its current and past behaviors, without the need for system dynamic information.Furthermore,the overall control scheme has a fairly simple structure and demands little online computations, making it attractive for real-timeimplementation on MAVs.Both theoretical analysis and computer simulation confirms its effectiveness.

Analysis of non-symmetrical flapping airfoils

Simulations have been done to assess the lift, thrust and propulsive efficiency of different types of non-symmetrical airfoils under different flapping configurations. The variables involved are reduced frequency, Strouhal number, pitch amplitude and phase angle. In order to analyze the variables more efficiently, the design of experiments using the response surface methodology is applied. Results show that both the variables and shape of the airfoil have a profound effect on the lift, thrust, and efficiency. By using non- symmetrical airfoils, average lift coefficient as high as 2.23 can be obtained. The average thrust coefficient and efficiency also reach high values of 2.53 and 0.61, respectively. The lift production is highly dependent on the airfoil＇s shape while thrust production is influenced more heavily by the variables. Efficiency falls somewhere in between. Two-factor interac- tions are found to exist among the variables. This shows that it is not sufficient to analyze each variable individually. Vorticity diagrams are analyzed to explain the results obtained. Overall, the S1020 airfoil is able to provide relatively good efficiency and at the same time generate high thrust and lift force. These results aid in the design of a better ornithopter＇s wing.

Numerical analysis on transitions and symmetry-breaking in the wake of a flapping foil

Flying and marine animals often use flapping wings or tails to generate thrust. In this paper, we will use the simplest flapping model with a sinusoidal pitching mo- tion over a range of frequency and amplitude to investigate the mechanism of thrust generation. Previous work focuses on the Karman vortex street and the reversed Karman vor- tex street but the transition between two states remains un- known. The present numerical simulation provides a com- plete scenario of flow patterns from the Karman vortex street to reversed Karman vortex street via aligned vortices and the ultimate state is the deflected Karman vortex street, as the parameters of flapping motions change. The results are in agreement with the previous experiment. We make further discussion on the relationship of the observed states with drag and thrust coefficients and explore the mechanism of enhanced thrust generation using flapping motions.

Modeling and Simulation of A Novel Autonomous Underwater Vehicle with Glider and Flapping-Foil Propulsion Capabilities

HAISHEN is a long-ranged and highly maneuverable AUV which has two operating modes： glider mode and flapping-foil propulsion mode. As part of the vehicle development, a three-dimensional mathematical model of the conceptual vehicle was developed on the assumption that HAISHEN has a rigid body with two independently controlled oscillating hydrofoils. A flapping-foil model was developed based on the work done by Georgiades et al. （2009）. Effect of controllable hydrofoils on the vehicle stable motion performance was studied theoretically. Finally, a dynamics simulation of the vehicle in both operating modes is created in this paper. The simulation demonstrates that： （1） in the glider mode, owing to the independent control of the pitch angle of each hydrofoil, HAISHEN travels faster and more efficiently and has a smaller turning radius than conventional fix-winged gliders; （2） in the flapping-foil propulsion mode, HAISHEN has a high maneuverability with a turning radius smaller than 15 m and a forward motion velocity about 1.8 m/s; （3） the vehicle is stable under all expected operating conditions.