Design and kinematic analysis of flapping wing mechanism for common swift inspired micro aerial vehicle

Chellapurath, Mrudul; Noble, Sam; Sreejalekshmi, K G

doi:10.1177/0954406220974046

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…Swifts are one highly maneuverable flyer, and they directly sweep back their wings, thereby obtaining a triple turning rate [34]. This led to swift-inspired micro aerial vehicle development [35], which achieves higher maneuverability via a sweptback angle. Our results indicate that there are an optimal AR and sweptback angle for the wings of the vehicles at least in this range of Re.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leading-Edge Vortex Characteristics of Low-Aspect-Ratio Sweptback Plates at Low Reynolds Number

Han¹,

Breitsamter²

2021

Applied Sciences

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A sweptback angle can directly regulate a leading-edge vortex on various aerodynamic devices as well as on the wings of biological flyers, but the effect of a sweptback angle has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Here, we thoroughly investigated the effect of the sweptback angle on aerodynamic characteristics of low-aspect-ratio flat plates at a Reynolds number of 2.85 × 104. Direct force/moment measurements and surface oil-flow visualizations were conducted in the wind-tunnel B at the Technical University of Munich. It was found that while the maximum lift at an aspect ratio of 2.03 remains unchanged, two other aspect ratios of 3.13 and 4.50 show a gradual increment in the maximum lift with an increasing sweptback angle. The largest leading-edge vortex contribution was found at the aspect ratio of 3.13, resulting in a superior lift production at a sufficient sweptback angle. This is similar to that of a revolving/flapping wing, where an aspect ratio around three shows a superior lift production. In the oil-flow patterns, it was observed that while the leading-edge vortices at aspect ratios of 2.03 and 3.13 fully covered the surfaces, the vortex at an aspect ratio of 4.50 only covered up the surface approximately three times the chord, similar to that of a revolving/flapping wing. Based on the pattern at the aspect ratio of 4.50, a critical length of the leading-edge vortex of a sweptback plate was measured as ~3.1 times the chord.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leading-Edge Vortex Characteristics of Low-Aspect-Ratio Sweptback Plates at Low Reynolds Number

Han¹,

Breitsamter²

2021

Applied Sciences

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“…21 In almost all the works done for controlling pitch and yaw channels of flapping wings MAVs, they used the elevator and rudder in the same manner as in fixed-wing flying vehicles. 22,23 Also, valuable research about mechanism design, aerodynamics, and recent progress in the field of flapping wing MAVs are presented in Chellapurath et al, 24 Karimian and Jahanbin, 25 and Haider et al 26 DelFly MAV with one degree of freedom for the motor to produce thrust and with a rudder and elevator for guidance and control is famous. After reviewing the MAV's studies, we see the modeling and simulation of a dragonfly with an active rigid abdomen is important and fills the gap.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hardware in the loop simulation and implementation of a dragonfly-like MAV using clap and fling mechanism

Lashgari

Naghash

2023

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C:

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The main aim of this paper is to model and simulate flight dynamics and to design a controller for a dragonfly-like micro aerial vehicle (MAV). This MAV has flapping wings using a clap and fling mechanism with a rigid abdomen. Kane’s method is applied to derive the longitudinal motion equations of the MAV as a multi-body system. Then, the aerodynamic lift and drag forces of the MAV are obtained. These equations are substituted in the derived motion equations. Furthermore, a new structure for a dragonfly-like flapping wing MAV is presented in which abdomen motion is considered in the longitudinal mode. In this work, the use of the abdomen is also formulated. A change in the motor’s speed generates differential thrust that creates a pitch moment as a control input. State space linearized equations of motion are presented by using appropriate assumptions in the aerodynamics, and dynamic nonlinear equations. To validate the linearized model, the response of the open-loop linear system is compared with the nonlinear one. In addition, the positive role of the abdomen in the open loop is discussed and analyzed. Finally, an LQR controller is designed for the pitch mode which is robust against disturbances. The validity, effectiveness, and performance of the derived equations and designed autopilot are shown by implemented hardware in the loop testbed using a fixed abdomen. Results demonstrate a good agreement between theoretical and experimental responses with accurate hovering at the desired angle.

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“…The swift, renowned as the champion of fast-flying birds, boasts the highest flight speed, remarkable maneuverability, and an extensive flight time compared to other land birds [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. Noteworthy flight characteristics unique to swifts include (1) their wings comprise smaller inner arm surfaces and larger outer hand surfaces, enabling some adjustments to the wingtip bones' angle during flight, thereby altering the shape and area of the wings [21][22][23][24]; (2) swifts exhibit minimal wing flapping during flight, relying predominantly on modulating the geometric shape of their wings to sustain efficient gliding over long distances [25][26][27][28]; and (3) unlike other birds, swifts rarely land throughout their lifetime, capable of sleeping while in flight, enabling uninterrupted flight for up to 10 consecutive months [21][22][23][24]. The wing structure, encompassing the skeleton and feathers, plays a crucial role in facilitating the swift's efficient flight, especially during the transitional phases between different flight modes, as depicted in Figure 1.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerodynamic Exploration on Rough Airfoil Based on Overlapping Feathers of a Swift-Wing Structure

Huang

Zhang

et al. 2023

Aerospace

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To investigate the flow mechanism of feather-like rough airfoils based on swift wings, computational simulations were employed to explore their overall aerodynamic characteristics in comparison to equivalent smooth airfoils. The study focused on angles of attack ranging from 0° to 20° at low Reynolds numbers. The results reveal that the rough airfoil exhibits higher lift and lower drag compared to the smooth airfoil at moderate angles of attack ranging from 6° to 10°, resulting in significantly improved aerodynamic efficiency. Notably, at an angle of attack of 8°, the aerodynamic efficiency is increased by 19%. However, at angles of attack smaller than 6°, the increase in drag outweighs the increase in lift, leading to lower aerodynamic efficiency for the rough airfoil. Conversely, when the angle of attack exceeds 16°, both airfoils experience separated flow-dominated flow fields, resulting in comparable effective aerodynamic shapes and similar aerodynamic efficiencies. Furthermore, the study found that increasing the Reynolds number results in greater pressure differences in the flow field, leading to higher aerodynamic efficiency. These preliminary conclusions are valuable for elucidating the flight mechanisms of bird-feather-like wings and can inform the design or morphing design of bio-inspired micro aerial vehicles in the near future.

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Design and kinematic analysis of flapping wing mechanism for common swift inspired micro aerial vehicle

Cited by 10 publications

References 44 publications

Leading-Edge Vortex Characteristics of Low-Aspect-Ratio Sweptback Plates at Low Reynolds Number

Leading-Edge Vortex Characteristics of Low-Aspect-Ratio Sweptback Plates at Low Reynolds Number

Hardware in the loop simulation and implementation of a dragonfly-like MAV using clap and fling mechanism

Aerodynamic Exploration on Rough Airfoil Based on Overlapping Feathers of a Swift-Wing Structure

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