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 in...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.展开更多
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 ...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 展开更多
In present,there are increasing interests in the research on mechanical and control system of underwater vehicles.These ongoing research efforts are motivated by more pervasive applications of such vehicles including ...In present,there are increasing interests in the research on mechanical and control system of underwater vehicles.These ongoing research efforts are motivated by more pervasive applications of such vehicles including seabed oil and gas explorations, scientific deep ocean surveys,military purposes,ecological and water environmental studies,and also entertainments. However,the performance of underwater vehicles with screw type propellers is not prospective in terms of its efficiency and maneuverability.The main weaknesses of this kind of propellers are the production of vortices and sudden generation of thrust forces which make the control of the position and motion difficult. On the other hand,fishes and other aquatic animals are efficient swimmers,posses high maneuverability,are able to follow trajectories,can efficiently stabilize themselves in currents and surges,create less wakes than currently used underwater vehicle, and also have a noiseless propulsion.The fish's locomotion mechanism is mainly controlled by its caudal fin and paired pectoral fins.They are classified into Body and/or Caudal Fin(BCF)and Median and/or paired Pectoral Fins(MPF).The study of highly efficient swimming mechanisms of fish can inspire a better underwater vehicles thruster design and its mechanism. There are few studies on underwater vehicles or fish robots using paired pectoral fins as thruster.The work presented in this paper represents a contribution in this area covering study,design and implementation of locomotion mechanisms of paired pectoral fins in a fish robot.The performance and viability of the biomimetic method for underwater vehicles are highlighted through in-water experiment of a robotic fish.展开更多
Hovering ability is one of the most desired features in Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles （FW-MAVs）. This paper presents a hybrid design of flapping wing and fixed wing, which combines two flapping wings and two fixe...Hovering ability is one of the most desired features in Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles （FW-MAVs）. This paper presents a hybrid design of flapping wing and fixed wing, which combines two flapping wings and two fixed wings to take advantage of the double wing clap-and-fling effect for high thrust production, and utilizes the fixed wings as the stabilizing surfaces for inherently stable hovering flight. Force measurement shows that the effect of wing clap-and-fling significantly enhances the cycle-averaged vertical thrust up to 44.82% at 12.4 Hz. The effect of ventral wing clap-and-fling due to presence of fixed wings produces about 11% increase of thrust-to-power ratio, and the insect-inspired FW-MAV can produce enough cycle-averaged vertical thrust of 14.76 g for lift-offat 10 Hz, and 24 g at maximum frequency of 12.4 Hz. Power measurement indicates that the power consumed for aerodynamic forces and wing inertia, and power loss due to gearbox friction and mechanism inertia was about 80% and 20% of the total input power, respectively. The proposed insect-inspired FW-MAV could endure three-minute flight, and demonstrate a good flight performance in terms of vertical take-off, hovering, and control with an onboard 3.7 V-70 mAh LiPo battery and control system.展开更多
An immersed-boundary method is used to investigate the flapping wings with different aspect ratios ranging from 1 to 5.The numerical results on wake structures and the performance of the propulsion are given.Unlike th...An immersed-boundary method is used to investigate the flapping wings with different aspect ratios ranging from 1 to 5.The numerical results on wake structures and the performance of the propulsion are given.Unlike the case of the two-dimensional flapping foil,the wing-tip vortices appear for the flow past a three-dimensional flapping wing,which makes the wake vortex structures much different.The results show that the leading edge vortex merges into the trailing edge vortex,connects with the wing tip vortices and then sheds from the wing.A vortex ring forms in the wake,and exhibits different patterns for different foil aspect ratios.Analysis of hydrodynamic performances shows that both thrust coefficient and efficiency of the flapping wing increase with increasing aspect ratio.展开更多
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...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.展开更多
This article presents a comprehensive study of the effects of the caudal fin shape on the propulsion performance of a candal fin in harmonic heaving and pitching. A numerical simulation based on an unsteady panel meth...This article presents a comprehensive study of the effects of the caudal fin shape on the propulsion performance of a candal fin in harmonic heaving and pitching. A numerical simulation based on an unsteady panel method was carried out to analyze the hydrodynamic performance of flapping caudal fins of three shapes （the whale caudal fin with the largest projected area, the dolphin caudal fin with the median projected area, and the tuna caudal fin with the smallest projected area）. Then, a series of hydrodynamic experiments for three caudal fin shapes were performed. Both computational and experimental results indicate that the tuna caudal fin produces the highest efficiency. However the mean thrust coefficient of the tuna caudal fin is the smallest. It is found that although the mean thrust coefficient for the tuna caudal fin is not large, the input power of the tuna caudal fin is also quite small. So the tuna caudal fin achieves a high efficiency.展开更多
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 mode...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.展开更多
The analysis of the passive rotation feature of a micro Flapping Rotary Wing（FRW）applicable for Micro Air Vehicle（MAV） design is presented in this paper. The dynamics of the wing and its influence on aerodynamic p...The analysis of the passive rotation feature of a micro Flapping Rotary Wing（FRW）applicable for Micro Air Vehicle（MAV） design is presented in this paper. The dynamics of the wing and its influence on aerodynamic performance of FRW is studied at low Reynolds number（~10~3）.The FRW is modeled as a simplified system of three rigid bodies： a rotary base with two flapping wings. The multibody dynamic theory is employed to derive the motion equations for FRW. A quasi-steady aerodynamic model is utilized for the calculation of the aerodynamic forces and moments. The dynamic motion process and the effects of the kinematics of wings on the dynamic rotational equilibrium of FWR and the aerodynamic performances are studied. The results show that the passive rotation motion of the wings is a continuous dynamic process which converges into an equilibrium rotary velocity due to the interaction between aerodynamic thrust, drag force and wing inertia. This causes a unique dynamic time-lag phenomena of lift generation for FRW, unlike the normal flapping wing flight vehicle driven by its own motor to actively rotate its wings. The analysis also shows that in order to acquire a high positive lift generation with high power efficiency and small dynamic time-lag, a relative high mid-up stroke angle within 7–15° and low mid-down stroke angle within -40° to -35° are necessary. The results provide a quantified guidance for design option of FRW together with the optimal kinematics of motion according to flight performance requirement.展开更多
This paper introduces a newly developed Unmanned Wave Glide Vehicle （UWGV）, which is driven only by extracting energy from gravity waves, and presents a comprehensive study on the propulsion performance of the UWGV...This paper introduces a newly developed Unmanned Wave Glide Vehicle （UWGV）, which is driven only by extracting energy from gravity waves, and presents a comprehensive study on the propulsion performance of the UWGV＇s propulsor-Wave Glide Propulsor （WGP） in a regular wave. By simplifying the WGP as six 2D tandem asynchronous flapping foils （TAFFs）, a CFD method based on Navier-Stokes equations was first used to analyze the hydrodynamic performance of TAFFs with different parameters of non-dimensional wave length rn and non-dimensional wave height n. Then, a series of hydrodynamic experiments were performed. The computational results agree well with the experimental results when n〈0.07 and both of them show the thrust force and input power of the WGP are larger at smaller m or larger n. By analyzing the flow field of TAFFs, we can see that a larger m is beneficial to the forming, merging and shredding of the TAFFs＇ vortices; as TAFFs are arranged in tandem and have the same motions, the leading edge vortex and wake vortex of the TAFFs are meaningful for improving the thrust force of their adjacent ones.展开更多
The effect of the wake of previous strokes on the aerodynamic forces of a flapping model insect wing is studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The wake effect is isolated by comparing the forces and...The effect of the wake of previous strokes on the aerodynamic forces of a flapping model insect wing is studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The wake effect is isolated by comparing the forces and flows of the starting stroke （when the wake has not developed） with those of a later stroke （when the wake has developed）. The following has been shown. （1） The wake effect may increase or decrease the lift and drag at the beginning of a half-stroke （downstroke or upstroke）, depending on the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the half-stroke, the wing “impinges” on the spanwise vorticity generated by the wing during stroke reversal and the distribution of the vorticity is sensitive to the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. （2） The wake effect decreases the lift and increases the drag in the rest part of the half-stroke. This is because the wing moves in a downwash field induced by previous half-stroke＇s starting vortex, tip vortices and attached leading edge vortex （these vortices form a downwash producing vortex ring）. （3） The wake effect decreases the mean lift by 6%-18% （depending on wing kinematics at stroke reversal） and slightly increases the mean drag. Therefore, it is detrimental to the aerodynamic performance of the flapping wing.展开更多
Locust has the capacity to maintain a righting posture and glide through attitude adjustment after leaping. A prototype inspired by the dynamic mechanism of attitude adjustment of locusts was developed. The prototype ...Locust has the capacity to maintain a righting posture and glide through attitude adjustment after leaping. A prototype inspired by the dynamic mechanism of attitude adjustment of locusts was developed. The prototype consists of a pair of wings driven by a four-bar mechanism, and a 2 Degree of Freedom （DOF） tail to imitate the movement of the locust abdomen. The power source, microcontroller, wireless data transmission module, and attitude sensors are contained in the fuselage. Experiments imitating the flight of locust were conducted to determine the mechanism of locust Subsequent Attitude Adjustment （SAA）. The tethered prototype was driven by the movement of the tail and the flapping of the wings. Results show that the pitch and yaw of the tail, and the asymmetric action of the flapping wings significantly influence the posture of the prototype. These findings suggest that both the wiggling abdomen and flapping wings contribute to the locust SAA in the air. This research lays the groundwork and technical support for the probable design and development of practical jumping robots with attitude adjustment function.展开更多
The aerodynamic force and flow structure of NACA 0012 airfoil performing an unsteady motion at low Reynolds number (Re = 100) are calculated by solving Navier-Stokes equations. The motion consists of three parts: the ...The aerodynamic force and flow structure of NACA 0012 airfoil performing an unsteady motion at low Reynolds number (Re = 100) are calculated by solving Navier-Stokes equations. The motion consists of three parts: the first translation, rotation and the second translation in the direction opposite to the first. The rotation and the second translation in this motion are expected to represent the rotation and translation of the wing-section of a hovering insect. The flow structure is used in combination with the theory of vorticity dynamics to explain the generation of unsteady aerodynamic force in the motion. During the rotation, due to the creation of strong vortices in short time, large aerodynamic force is produced and the force is almost normal to the airfoil chord. During the second translation, large lift coefficient can be maintained for certain time period and (C) over bar (L), the lift coefficient averaged over four chord lengths of travel, is larger than 2 (the corresponding steady-state lift coefficient is only 0.9). The large lift coefficient is due to two effects. The first is the delayed shedding of the stall vortex. The second is that the vortices created during the airfoil rotation and in the near wake left by previous translation form a short 'vortex street' in front of the airfoil and the 'vortex street' induces a 'wind'; against this 'wind' the airfoil translates, increasing its relative speed. The above results provide insights to the understanding of the mechanism of high-lift generation by a hovering insect.展开更多
This paper is based on a previously developed bio-inspired Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicle(FWAV),RoboFalcon,which can fly with a morphing-coupled flapping pattern.In this paper,a simple flapping stroke control system bas...This paper is based on a previously developed bio-inspired Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicle(FWAV),RoboFalcon,which can fly with a morphing-coupled flapping pattern.In this paper,a simple flapping stroke control system based on Hall effect sensors is designed and applied,which is capable of assigning different up-and down-stroke speeds for the RoboFalcon platform to achieve an adjustable downstroke ratio.The aerodynamic and power characteristics of the morphing-coupled flapping pattern and the conventional flapping pattern with varying downstroke ratios are measured through a wind tunnel experiment,and the corresponding aerodynamic models are developed and analyzed by the nonlinear least squares method.The relatively low power consumption of the slow-downstroke mode of this vehicle is verified through outdoor flight tests.The results of wind tunnel experiments and flight tests indicate that increased downstroke duration can improve aerodynamic and power performance for the RoboFalcon platform.展开更多
The application of biomimetics in the development of unmanned-aerial-vehicles （UAV） has advanced to an exceptionally small scale of nano-aerial-vehicles （NAV）, which has surpassed its immediate predecessor of micr...The application of biomimetics in the development of unmanned-aerial-vehicles （UAV） has advanced to an exceptionally small scale of nano-aerial-vehicles （NAV）, which has surpassed its immediate predecessor of micro-aerial-vehicles （MAV）, leaving a vast range of development possi- bilities that MAVs have to offer. Because of the prompt advancement into the NAV research devel- opment, the true potential and challenges presented by MAV development were never solved, understood, and truly uncovered, especially under the influence of transition and low Reynolds number flow characteristics. This paper reviews a part of previous MAV research developments which are deemed important of notification; kinematics, membranes, and flapping mechanisms ranges from small birds to big insects, which resides within the transition and low Reynolds number regimes. This paper also reviews the possibility of applying a piezoelectric transmission used to pro- duce NAV flapping wing motion and mounted on a MAV, replacing the conventional motorized flapping wing transmission. Findings suggest that limited work has been done for MAVs matching these criteria. The preferred research approach has seen bias towards numerical analysis as compared to experimental analysis.展开更多
基金The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(10072066,90305009) the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KJCX-SW-L04,KJCX2-SW-L2)
文摘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.
文摘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
文摘In present,there are increasing interests in the research on mechanical and control system of underwater vehicles.These ongoing research efforts are motivated by more pervasive applications of such vehicles including seabed oil and gas explorations, scientific deep ocean surveys,military purposes,ecological and water environmental studies,and also entertainments. However,the performance of underwater vehicles with screw type propellers is not prospective in terms of its efficiency and maneuverability.The main weaknesses of this kind of propellers are the production of vortices and sudden generation of thrust forces which make the control of the position and motion difficult. On the other hand,fishes and other aquatic animals are efficient swimmers,posses high maneuverability,are able to follow trajectories,can efficiently stabilize themselves in currents and surges,create less wakes than currently used underwater vehicle, and also have a noiseless propulsion.The fish's locomotion mechanism is mainly controlled by its caudal fin and paired pectoral fins.They are classified into Body and/or Caudal Fin(BCF)and Median and/or paired Pectoral Fins(MPF).The study of highly efficient swimming mechanisms of fish can inspire a better underwater vehicles thruster design and its mechanism. There are few studies on underwater vehicles or fish robots using paired pectoral fins as thruster.The work presented in this paper represents a contribution in this area covering study,design and implementation of locomotion mechanisms of paired pectoral fins in a fish robot.The performance and viability of the biomimetic method for underwater vehicles are highlighted through in-water experiment of a robotic fish.
文摘Hovering ability is one of the most desired features in Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles （FW-MAVs）. This paper presents a hybrid design of flapping wing and fixed wing, which combines two flapping wings and two fixed wings to take advantage of the double wing clap-and-fling effect for high thrust production, and utilizes the fixed wings as the stabilizing surfaces for inherently stable hovering flight. Force measurement shows that the effect of wing clap-and-fling significantly enhances the cycle-averaged vertical thrust up to 44.82% at 12.4 Hz. The effect of ventral wing clap-and-fling due to presence of fixed wings produces about 11% increase of thrust-to-power ratio, and the insect-inspired FW-MAV can produce enough cycle-averaged vertical thrust of 14.76 g for lift-offat 10 Hz, and 24 g at maximum frequency of 12.4 Hz. Power measurement indicates that the power consumed for aerodynamic forces and wing inertia, and power loss due to gearbox friction and mechanism inertia was about 80% and 20% of the total input power, respectively. The proposed insect-inspired FW-MAV could endure three-minute flight, and demonstrate a good flight performance in terms of vertical take-off, hovering, and control with an onboard 3.7 V-70 mAh LiPo battery and control system.
基金supported by the Doctoral Research Foundation of Chinese Universities (Grant No. 20070335066)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50735004, 10802075)
文摘An immersed-boundary method is used to investigate the flapping wings with different aspect ratios ranging from 1 to 5.The numerical results on wake structures and the performance of the propulsion are given.Unlike the case of the two-dimensional flapping foil,the wing-tip vortices appear for the flow past a three-dimensional flapping wing,which makes the wake vortex structures much different.The results show that the leading edge vortex merges into the trailing edge vortex,connects with the wing tip vortices and then sheds from the wing.A vortex ring forms in the wake,and exhibits different patterns for different foil aspect ratios.Analysis of hydrodynamic performances shows that both thrust coefficient and efficiency of the flapping wing increase with increasing aspect ratio.
文摘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.
基金supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant No.50879014)the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No.200802170010)
文摘This article presents a comprehensive study of the effects of the caudal fin shape on the propulsion performance of a candal fin in harmonic heaving and pitching. A numerical simulation based on an unsteady panel method was carried out to analyze the hydrodynamic performance of flapping caudal fins of three shapes （the whale caudal fin with the largest projected area, the dolphin caudal fin with the median projected area, and the tuna caudal fin with the smallest projected area）. Then, a series of hydrodynamic experiments for three caudal fin shapes were performed. Both computational and experimental results indicate that the tuna caudal fin produces the highest efficiency. However the mean thrust coefficient of the tuna caudal fin is the smallest. It is found that although the mean thrust coefficient for the tuna caudal fin is not large, the input power of the tuna caudal fin is also quite small. So the tuna caudal fin achieves a high efficiency.
基金Acknowledgement This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant No. 10732030） and the 111 Project （B07009）.
文摘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.
文摘The analysis of the passive rotation feature of a micro Flapping Rotary Wing（FRW）applicable for Micro Air Vehicle（MAV） design is presented in this paper. The dynamics of the wing and its influence on aerodynamic performance of FRW is studied at low Reynolds number（~10~3）.The FRW is modeled as a simplified system of three rigid bodies： a rotary base with two flapping wings. The multibody dynamic theory is employed to derive the motion equations for FRW. A quasi-steady aerodynamic model is utilized for the calculation of the aerodynamic forces and moments. The dynamic motion process and the effects of the kinematics of wings on the dynamic rotational equilibrium of FWR and the aerodynamic performances are studied. The results show that the passive rotation motion of the wings is a continuous dynamic process which converges into an equilibrium rotary velocity due to the interaction between aerodynamic thrust, drag force and wing inertia. This causes a unique dynamic time-lag phenomena of lift generation for FRW, unlike the normal flapping wing flight vehicle driven by its own motor to actively rotate its wings. The analysis also shows that in order to acquire a high positive lift generation with high power efficiency and small dynamic time-lag, a relative high mid-up stroke angle within 7–15° and low mid-down stroke angle within -40° to -35° are necessary. The results provide a quantified guidance for design option of FRW together with the optimal kinematics of motion according to flight performance requirement.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51479039)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2013M540271)
文摘This paper introduces a newly developed Unmanned Wave Glide Vehicle （UWGV）, which is driven only by extracting energy from gravity waves, and presents a comprehensive study on the propulsion performance of the UWGV＇s propulsor-Wave Glide Propulsor （WGP） in a regular wave. By simplifying the WGP as six 2D tandem asynchronous flapping foils （TAFFs）, a CFD method based on Navier-Stokes equations was first used to analyze the hydrodynamic performance of TAFFs with different parameters of non-dimensional wave length rn and non-dimensional wave height n. Then, a series of hydrodynamic experiments were performed. The computational results agree well with the experimental results when n〈0.07 and both of them show the thrust force and input power of the WGP are larger at smaller m or larger n. By analyzing the flow field of TAFFs, we can see that a larger m is beneficial to the forming, merging and shredding of the TAFFs＇ vortices; as TAFFs are arranged in tandem and have the same motions, the leading edge vortex and wake vortex of the TAFFs are meaningful for improving the thrust force of their adjacent ones.
基金The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(10232010)the National Aeronautic Science Fund of China(03A51049)
文摘The effect of the wake of previous strokes on the aerodynamic forces of a flapping model insect wing is studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The wake effect is isolated by comparing the forces and flows of the starting stroke （when the wake has not developed） with those of a later stroke （when the wake has developed）. The following has been shown. （1） The wake effect may increase or decrease the lift and drag at the beginning of a half-stroke （downstroke or upstroke）, depending on the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the half-stroke, the wing “impinges” on the spanwise vorticity generated by the wing during stroke reversal and the distribution of the vorticity is sensitive to the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. （2） The wake effect decreases the lift and increases the drag in the rest part of the half-stroke. This is because the wing moves in a downwash field induced by previous half-stroke＇s starting vortex, tip vortices and attached leading edge vortex （these vortices form a downwash producing vortex ring）. （3） The wake effect decreases the mean lift by 6%-18% （depending on wing kinematics at stroke reversal） and slightly increases the mean drag. Therefore, it is detrimental to the aerodynamic performance of the flapping wing.
基金Acknowledgment This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No.51075014 and No.51375035）, the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China （No.20121102110021）.
文摘Locust has the capacity to maintain a righting posture and glide through attitude adjustment after leaping. A prototype inspired by the dynamic mechanism of attitude adjustment of locusts was developed. The prototype consists of a pair of wings driven by a four-bar mechanism, and a 2 Degree of Freedom （DOF） tail to imitate the movement of the locust abdomen. The power source, microcontroller, wireless data transmission module, and attitude sensors are contained in the fuselage. Experiments imitating the flight of locust were conducted to determine the mechanism of locust Subsequent Attitude Adjustment （SAA）. The tethered prototype was driven by the movement of the tail and the flapping of the wings. Results show that the pitch and yaw of the tail, and the asymmetric action of the flapping wings significantly influence the posture of the prototype. These findings suggest that both the wiggling abdomen and flapping wings contribute to the locust SAA in the air. This research lays the groundwork and technical support for the probable design and development of practical jumping robots with attitude adjustment function.
基金The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19725210)
文摘The aerodynamic force and flow structure of NACA 0012 airfoil performing an unsteady motion at low Reynolds number (Re = 100) are calculated by solving Navier-Stokes equations. The motion consists of three parts: the first translation, rotation and the second translation in the direction opposite to the first. The rotation and the second translation in this motion are expected to represent the rotation and translation of the wing-section of a hovering insect. The flow structure is used in combination with the theory of vorticity dynamics to explain the generation of unsteady aerodynamic force in the motion. During the rotation, due to the creation of strong vortices in short time, large aerodynamic force is produced and the force is almost normal to the airfoil chord. During the second translation, large lift coefficient can be maintained for certain time period and (C) over bar (L), the lift coefficient averaged over four chord lengths of travel, is larger than 2 (the corresponding steady-state lift coefficient is only 0.9). The large lift coefficient is due to two effects. The first is the delayed shedding of the stall vortex. The second is that the vortices created during the airfoil rotation and in the near wake left by previous translation form a short 'vortex street' in front of the airfoil and the 'vortex street' induces a 'wind'; against this 'wind' the airfoil translates, increasing its relative speed. The above results provide insights to the understanding of the mechanism of high-lift generation by a hovering insect.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants No.52175277 and 12272318,and ND Basic Research Funds under Grants G2022WDwas supported in part by the Basic Research Program of Shenzhen under GrantJCYJ20190806142816524.
文摘This paper is based on a previously developed bio-inspired Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicle(FWAV),RoboFalcon,which can fly with a morphing-coupled flapping pattern.In this paper,a simple flapping stroke control system based on Hall effect sensors is designed and applied,which is capable of assigning different up-and down-stroke speeds for the RoboFalcon platform to achieve an adjustable downstroke ratio.The aerodynamic and power characteristics of the morphing-coupled flapping pattern and the conventional flapping pattern with varying downstroke ratios are measured through a wind tunnel experiment,and the corresponding aerodynamic models are developed and analyzed by the nonlinear least squares method.The relatively low power consumption of the slow-downstroke mode of this vehicle is verified through outdoor flight tests.The results of wind tunnel experiments and flight tests indicate that increased downstroke duration can improve aerodynamic and power performance for the RoboFalcon platform.
文摘The application of biomimetics in the development of unmanned-aerial-vehicles （UAV） has advanced to an exceptionally small scale of nano-aerial-vehicles （NAV）, which has surpassed its immediate predecessor of micro-aerial-vehicles （MAV）, leaving a vast range of development possi- bilities that MAVs have to offer. Because of the prompt advancement into the NAV research devel- opment, the true potential and challenges presented by MAV development were never solved, understood, and truly uncovered, especially under the influence of transition and low Reynolds number flow characteristics. This paper reviews a part of previous MAV research developments which are deemed important of notification; kinematics, membranes, and flapping mechanisms ranges from small birds to big insects, which resides within the transition and low Reynolds number regimes. This paper also reviews the possibility of applying a piezoelectric transmission used to pro- duce NAV flapping wing motion and mounted on a MAV, replacing the conventional motorized flapping wing transmission. Findings suggest that limited work has been done for MAVs matching these criteria. The preferred research approach has seen bias towards numerical analysis as compared to experimental analysis.
