A review of aerodynamic studies on dragonfly flight

Salami, Erfan; Ward, Thomas A.; Montazer, Elham; Ghazali, Nik Nazri Nik

doi:10.1177/0954406219861133

Cited by 33 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 67 publications

(70 reference statements)

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“…Micro air vehicles (MAVs) designed to mimic the flight of dragonflies must have well understood aerodynamics. There have been numerous studies on the aerodynamic design and control of dragonfly biomimetic MAVs [25]. Some of the most basic factors include Re, wing aspect ratio (AR), and wing structural properties.…”

Section: Wing Performance and Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Biomimetic Drones Inspired by Dragonflies Will Require a Systems Based Approach and Insights from Biology

Chahl

Chitsaz

McIvor

et al. 2021

Drones

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Many drone platforms have matured to become nearly optimal flying machines with only modest improvements in efficiency possible. “Chimera” craft combine fixed wing and rotary wing characteristics while being substantially less efficient than both. The increasing presence of chimeras suggests that their mix of vertical takeoff, hover, and more efficient cruise is invaluable to many end users. We discuss the opportunity for flapping wing drones inspired by large insects to perform these mixed missions. Dragonflies particularly are capable of efficiency in all modes of flight. We will explore the fundamental principles of dragonfly flight to allow for a comparison between proposed flapping wing technological solutions and a flapping wing organism. We chart one approach to achieving the next step in drone technology through systems theory and an appreciation of how biomimetics can be applied. New findings in dynamics of flapping, practical actuation technology, wing design, and flight control are presented and connected. We show that a theoretical understanding of flight systems and an appreciation of the detail of biological implementations may be key to achieving an outcome that matches the performance of natural systems. We assert that an optimal flapping wing drone, capable of efficiency in all modes of flight with high performance upon demand, might look somewhat like an abstract dragonfly.

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Section: Wing Performance and Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Biomimetic Drones Inspired by Dragonflies Will Require a Systems Based Approach and Insights from Biology

Chahl

Chitsaz

McIvor

et al. 2021

Drones

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Pinpointing the factors that shape the evolution of wings and flapping kinematics is key to any in-depth understanding of flight. Within the past decades, numerous comprehensive reviews and book chapters have been published on insect flight, focusing on components such as aerodynamic mechanisms for lift enhancement [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ], power requirements for wing flapping [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ], wing kinematics and control [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ], and the efficiency with which muscle mechanical power is turned into weight supporting lift [ 22 , 23 ]. This review is engaged in the link between three-dimensional wing structure and aerodynamics, focusing on recently published studies on the aerodynamic performance of wings in differently-sized insects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wing Design in Flies: Properties and Aerodynamic Function

Krishna

Cho

Wehmann

et al. 2020

Insects

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The shape and function of insect wings tremendously vary between insect species. This review is engaged in how wing design determines the aerodynamic mechanisms with which wings produce an air momentum for body weight support and flight control. We work out the tradeoffs associated with aerodynamic key parameters such as vortex development and lift production, and link the various components of wing structure to flight power requirements and propulsion efficiency. A comparison between rectangular, ideal-shaped and natural-shaped wings shows the benefits and detriments of various wing shapes for gliding and flapping flight. The review expands on the function of three-dimensional wing structure, on the specific role of wing corrugation for vortex trapping and lift enhancement, and on the aerodynamic significance of wing flexibility for flight and body posture control. The presented comparison is mainly concerned with wings of flies because these animals serve as model systems for both sensorimotor integration and aerial propulsion in several areas of biology and engineering.

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“…3,4 In addition, the wing corrugations of some kinds of insects have been seen one of the remarkable features, which show the advantages of low mass and high stiffness compared to smooth wings. 5–7 Extensive studies carried out by many researchers to research whether the corrugations benefit aerodynamic performances. These studies could be summarized as steady gliding flight and unsteady flapping flight.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerodynamic effects of bio-inspired corrugated wings on gliding and hovering performances

Xuan

et al. 2020

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C:

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Recently, numerous studies have been conducted to clarify the effects of corrugation wing on aerodynamic performances. The effects of the corrugation patterns and inclination angles were investigated using computational fluid dynamic method in gliding and hovering flight at Reynolds numbers of order 104. The instantaneous aerodynamic forces and the vorticity field around the wing models were provided to research the underlying mechanisms of aerodynamic effects of corrugated wing models. The findings can be concluded as follows: (1) the corrugation patterns have different effects on aerodynamic performance. The effect of noncamber corrugated wing is to decrease the lift and increase drag compared with a flat-plate when the angle of attack is less than 25° during gliding flight. The corrugated wing with a camber (corrug-2) after the valleys enhances the aerodynamic forces when angle of attack is higher than 35°. The valley inclination angle has limited effect on aerodynamic forces in gliding flight. (2) The lift forces of different corrugation patterns show significantly asymmetric during the upstroke and downstroke. The main reason leads to this phenomenon is the case that two sides of the corrugated wings are not symmetric around the pitching axis. The corrugated wing with only two valleys (corrug-1) changes the lift and drag very slightly. Corrug-2 produces larger peak during downstroke and smaller peak during upstroke. The increase in the inclination angle has limited effect on the aerodynamic forces. The possible reason for these small aerodynamic effects might be that the corrugated wings are smoothed by small vortices trapped in valleys. The main reason for the significant difference between plate and corrug-2 is that the recirculating vortices trapped in the saddle and hump reduce the pressure above the wing surface.

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A review of aerodynamic studies on dragonfly flight

Cited by 33 publications

References 67 publications

Biomimetic Drones Inspired by Dragonflies Will Require a Systems Based Approach and Insights from Biology

Biomimetic Drones Inspired by Dragonflies Will Require a Systems Based Approach and Insights from Biology

Wing Design in Flies: Properties and Aerodynamic Function

Aerodynamic effects of bio-inspired corrugated wings on gliding and hovering performances

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