The aim of this paper is to provide an aeroelastic computational tool which determines the induced wing loads during flapping flight. For this purpose, a Finite Element (FE) code based on a four-node plate bending element formulation is developed to simulate the aeroelastic behavior of flapping wings in low incompressible flow. A quasi-steady aerodynamic model is incorporated into the aeroelast...

The ostraciiform swimming mode utilizes the caudal fin flapping to achieve piscine propulsion with turning maneuverability. Mechanism can be mimicked and implemented in underwater vehicles and it is necessary to know the energy efficiency of this swimming mode for durability consideration. Present study consists the energy efficiency of a servomotor actuated ostraciiform fish robot through powe...

Most birds and many insects use periodic wing motion to propel themselves and maneuver. Most conventional flying machines are propelled by rotating machinery, achieve lift through rotating or fixed wings, and are controlled through the production of steady aerodynamic forces produced by rotors or movable wings. Many of the first powered flapping-wing micro air vehicles (MAVs) effectively replac...

An experimental study was conducted to assess the acoustic performance of a two-winged Flapping-Wing Micro-Air-Vehicle (FW-MAV) with various wing materials and wing structure configurations for flapping flight applications. It was concluded that highly elastic materials could significantly reduce the flapping wing noise in a wide spectrum of audible frequencies. Furthermore, a dielectric elasto...

Ax, A = amplitude of stroke amplitude in x direction, m, and orientation angle, deg CL, CL = lift coefficient and its average over flapping cycles CD, CD = drag coefficient and its average over flapping cycles CPW, CPW = input power coefficient and its average over flapping cycles c, h = chord and thickness of the plate, m; c is chosen as characteristic length Re = Uc v , Reynolds number, v is ...

Flexible flapping wings have garnered a large amount of attention within the micro aerial vehicle community: a critical component of computationalmicro aerial vehicle simulations is the representation of the structural dynamics behavior of the flapping-wing structure. This paper discusses the development of a new nonlinear finite element solver that is based on a corotational approach and suita...

The unsteady low Reynolds number aerodynamics of flapping flight was investigated experimentally through flow visualization by suspended particle imagery and wall shear stress measurement from micro-array hot-film anemometry. In conjunction, a mechanism was developed to create a flapping motion with three degrees of freedom and adjustable flapping frequency. The flapping kinematics and wing sha...

The purpose of this research is to model and control a dragonflylike flapping wing micro aerial vehicle (FWMAV). It is well known that micro aerial vehicle (MAV) designs can be classified as fixed wing, rotary wing and flapping wing. Fixed wing MAV is capable of fast forward flight, which is suitable for flying outdoor. Rotary wing MAV is suitable for movement at low speed. Recently, flapping w...

Flying insects and robots that mimic them flap and rotate (or ‘pitch’) their wings with large angular amplitudes. The reciprocating nature of flapping requires rotation of the wing at the end of each stroke. Insects or flapping-wing robots could achieve this by directly exerting moments about the axis of rotation using auxiliary muscles or actuators. However, completely passive rotational dynam...