扑翼飞行器平面形状对气动力的影响研究

为了了解扑翼飞行器在扑动过程中的气动力,采用非定常涡格法模拟扑动过程中的气动力计算,得到了刚性扑翼在扑动周期内气动力的变化及尾涡的形态。在此基础上,研究了扑翼的周期平均气动力随扑动频率、幅度、迎角及来流速度的变化关系,并进一步研究了不同的机翼平面形状对气动力的影响。计算结果表明,迎角和扑动频率的增大能够增加扑翼的升力,不同翼面形状的扑翼在升力特性及推力特性方面具有不同的优势。     

仿鸟柔性扑翼气动特性与能耗的数值研究

建立了适当的三维仿鸟柔性扑翼模型,并以配平重力和平衡阻力为条件,数值计算了它的低雷诺数非定常流场.研究揭示了翼面初始扭转角度、动态俯仰幅度等重要设计参数与飞行性能的关系,表明扑翼平面的初始扭转程度、扑翼柔性材料的选择以及两者之间的合理搭配对扑翼机的成功飞行至关重要.研究分析了仿鸟扑翼的流场涡结构、升力推力产生原理,下扑过程附着上翼面的前缘涡是升力产生的重要机制.对扑翼气动功率的比较分析也发现,人造扑翼机需要的气动功率明显高出同等大小的鸟类,在效率方面尚不及扑翼飞行生物.     

微型飞行器低雷诺数矩形扑翼非定常气动特性的数值模拟

采用双时间步方法求解三维可压缩非定常N-S方程,数值模拟了微型飞行器低雷诺数矩形扑翼的非定常绕流,首先将得到的结果与文献进行了对比,数据间具有较好的一致性.然后针对不同的展弦比、减缩频率及初始攻角,计算了矩形扑翼的非定常气动特性及表面流态和动态压力分布,并分析了翼尖涡对扑翼非定常气动特性的影响.     

非定常前侧缘分离流的研究

 采用非定常涡格法 ,计算了三角形和矩形薄翼突冲起动和等速上仰这两种常见的非定常运动 ,得到了前 (侧 )缘分离涡及尾涡非定常卷起的流动图象及气动特性。分析了展弦比和攻角的影响。等速上仰的计算结果显示 ,仰起的动态过程能明显抑制分离涡面的破碎倾向 ,提高升力系数。计算结果和已有实验结果相比吻合良好     

基于非定常涡格法的扑翼飞行器气动特性优化

旨在为柔性扑翼飞行器的翼面选型与设计提供一定依据,研究其气动优化.建立了扑翼的非定常涡格法(UVLM)尾涡模型;采用面向对象的编程技术对该模型进行求解并引入GPU流式编程技术实现了UVLM并行计算,使其执行效率提高了3倍;以升力和推力的最大化为目标,并采用模式搜索法对扑翼的扑动与俯仰运动相位差、扑动频率与柔性扭转角以及翼面结构进行了优化.结果显示,要获得尽可能大的气动推力,翼面应设计成倒梯形且其外翼段应具较大面积,要使升力最大化则需将翼面设计成正梯形布局并应使内翼段面积较大;为进一步提高FMAV推力,应在增大扑动频率的同时适当减小翼面的柔性扭转角.研究表明,内嵌UVLM的模式搜索法可望成为FMAV气动优化的一个重要工具.     

微型扑翼飞行器非定常运动对平尾的影响

以西北工业大学自行研制的微型扑翼飞行器ASN211为研究对象,利用其简化的二维扑翼及平尾串列翼模型进行了非定常数值模拟,分析了扑翼俯仰运动及沉浮运动对平尾气动性能的影响。在数值模拟模块中,模型的俯仰运动及沉浮运动由动网格技术实现。通过计算流体力学(CFD)软件Fluent对此非定常流场进行数值计算,重点研究了扑翼非定常运动尾流对平尾气动效率的影响。定常状态与非定常时均条件下平尾升力曲线的对比分析表明,扑翼的非定常运动能够增大平尾的失速迎角及最大升力系数,因而使平尾的失速特性得到改善。     

冲压翼伞流场与气动操纵特性的数值模拟

采用有限体积法求解shear stress transport(SST) k-ω二方程湍流模型下的Navier-Stokes(N-S)控制方程,对冲压翼伞的气动特性进行数值模拟,分析翼伞的流场机理和气动操纵特性.模拟得到的升阻特性与试验数据较吻合,在此基础上分析前缘切口、弧形下反以及稳定幅对升阻特性的影响.通过软件Fluent实现了非定常流动模拟,研究了翼伞的非定常升力特性,其升力系数的脉动受脱体涡的非定常过程影响,当迎角为16°时,翼伞升力变化周期为0.36s.最后分析了翼伞稳定滑翔阶段的纵向静稳定性,相比于单边后缘下拉方式,通过闭合翼伞一侧进气口实现航向操纵更稳定有效.      

扑翼飞行器非定常气动特性研究

为了研究复杂的非定常运动状态下扑翼飞行器翅翼的气动特性,针对自行研制的一种仿鸟扑翼飞行器建立了翅翼二维非定常空气动力学模型.基于该模型,通过用MATLAB编制计算升力系数和推力系数的程序,计算并分析了各运动参数对升力和推力特性的影响.结果表明,相位差对推力系数的影响较大,而升力系数随迎角的变化较快.     

微型扑翼低雷诺数绕流气动特性研究

针对微型扑翼所处典型飞行状态,数值模拟研究了微型扑翼绕流的低雷诺数气动特性.基于结构化嵌套网格求解了预处理后的三维非定常雷诺平均Navier-Stokes方程,空间离散采用了中心格式有限体积法,非定常时间推进为双时间法.通过与文献低雷诺数扑翼的试验值对比验证了本文算法的有效性,接下来通过大量计算研究了关键气动参数和展向折叠扑动模式的影响规律.研究结果表明迎角、扭转角和折叠扑动对升力影响较大,扭转角和减缩频率对推力影响较大.本文的研究得到了微型扑翼气动力特性的机理性结论,有助于理解微型扑翼飞行原理,为设计微型扑翼提供了参考依据.     

伸缩翼气动特性估算方法研究

针对传统方法不能够估算沿展长方向翼型弦长不断连续变化的伸缩翼气动特性的问题,提出了一种基于升力面理论和改进涡格法的气动估算方法。首先给出了该气动估算方法的原理,在此基础上推算出了气动估算方法的步骤和计算公式,最后进行数据处理,给出了伸缩翼展开过程中升力系数的变化曲线,并与AN-SYS CFD的计算结果进行了对比。结果表明,该气动估算方法能够很好地估算伸缩翼展开过程中的升力系数变化特性,对伸缩翼机翼外形设计能够提供有效的依据。     

Recent progress in flapping wing aerodynamics and aeroelasticity

Micro air vehicles (MAVs) have the potential to revolutionize our sensing and information gathering capabilities in areas such as environmental monitoring and homeland security. Flapping wings with suitable wing kinematics, wing shapes, and flexible structures can enhance lift as well as thrust by exploiting large-scale vortical flow structures under various conditions. However, the scaling invariance of both fluid dynamics and structural dynamics as the size changes is fundamentally difficult. The focus of this review is to assess the recent progress in flapping wing aerodynamics and aeroelasticity. It is realized that a variation of the Reynolds number (wing sizing, flapping frequency, etc.) leads to a change in the leading edge vortex (LEV) and spanwise flow structures, which impacts the aerodynamic force generation. While in classical stationary wing theory, the tip vortices (TiVs) are seen as wasted energy, in flapping flight, they can interact with the LEV to enhance lift without increasing the power requirements. Surrogate modeling techniques can assess the aerodynamic outcomes between two- and three-dimensional wing. The combined effect of the TiVs, the LEV, and jet can improve the aerodynamics of a flapping wing. Regarding aeroelasticity, chordwise flexibility in the forward flight can substantially adjust the projected area normal to the flight trajectory via shape deformation, hence redistributing thrust and lift. Spanwise flexibility in the forward flight creates shape deformation from the wing root to the wing tip resulting in varied phase shift and effective angle of attack distribution along the wing span. Numerous open issues in flapping wing aerodynamics are highlighted.     

扑翼的变刚度设计及其对升力和推力的影响

为提高扑翼飞行器的升力和推力以提高其飞行性能,运用生物扑翼的仿生原理,研究扑翼飞行器的扑翼升力和扑翼推力随扑翼刚度变化的机理。借鉴"变刚度关节机构和平面转动冗余并联机构通过调节张力改变刚度"这一机构学原理,运用变刚度关节机构相互串联实现扑翼在扑动方向上变刚度,同时运用平面转动冗余并联机构实现扑翼在扭转方向上变刚度。建立扑翼的扑动关节刚度和扭转机构刚度随预张力变化的模型,并通过实验和仿真验证扑翼扑动关节刚度和扭转机构刚度随预张力的变化。研究扑翼的升力和推力与扑翼刚度之间的关系,验证了通过调节扑翼刚度匹配其扑动频率可以提高扑翼的升力和推力。     

主动变形扑翼飞行器的设计和风洞测力试验研究

主动变形扑翼可以模仿鸟翼飞行时的复杂运动。为了了解主动变形扑翼飞行器的气动特性,在研究鸟类骨骼结构和翅膀及尾翼运动规律的基础上,设计并制造了一种基于机器人技术的主动变形扑翼飞行器;给出了主动变形扑翼飞行器的机构运动规律函数,并设计出机构运动控制系统;在低速风洞中对此飞行器进行了一系列测力试验,研究了主动变形扑翼的升力、推力特性,以及风速、扑动频率、扑动幅度、伸展相位等参数对升力和推力的影响,并与常规扑翼进行了对比分析。试验结果表明,较之常规扑翼,主动变形扑翼可以显著增加升力和增强对不同飞行状态的适应能力。     

多段柔性变体扑翼飞行器设计

多段柔性变体扑翼模仿海鸥翅膀的复杂运动.观察海鸥翅膀的运动周期,设计了包含慢频率扑动、展向折弯、弦向扭转和结构柔性变形的扑翼模型,并应用准定常方法计算气动力,为该扑翼飞行器设计提供依据.在CATIA和3DMAX中设计多段柔性变体扑翼机的三维模型和运动模拟,制作样机进行飞行试验,研究其平飞、爬升、偏航等飞行姿态,结果表明升力和推力与数值计算结果吻合.相较于原有扑翼飞行器,多段柔性变体扑翼飞行器可以慢频率扑动飞行,调整扑翼形状.      

The thrust and lift of an ornithopter's membrane wings with simple flapping motion

Human beings flying with the help of aircrafts of various kinds have been able to fly for about one century. Although the flapping wings of animals served as an inspiration to pioneers of human flight, we don't really understand how they work. In this study, we employ the concept of four-bar linkage to design a flapping mechanism which simulates a flapping motion of a bird. Wind tunnel tests were performed to measure the lift and thrust of the mechanical membrane flapping wing under different frequency, speed, and angle of attack. It is observed that the flexibility of the wing structure will affect the thrust and lift force due to its deformation at high flapping frequency. The lift force will increase with the increase of the flapping frequency under the corresponding flying speed. For the same flapping frequency, the flying speed can be increased by decrease of the angle of attack with the trade of loosing some lift force. An angle of attack is necessary in a simple flapping motion in order to derive a lift force. The flapping motion generates the thrust to acquire the flying speed. The flying speed and angle of attack combine to generate the lift force for flying.     

微型扑翼飞行器的气动建模分析与试验

用计算流体力学的数值模拟方法研究了微扑翼飞行器的扑翼飞行的非定常空气动力学问题。在对昆虫扑翼飞行运动的仿生模拟基础上 ,对实际可飞的微扑翼飞行器的扑翼运动建立了三维翼型的运动学与空气动力学模型。利用任意拉格朗日欧拉 ( ALE)有限元方法求解出 N-S方程的数值解 ,证明简单扑翼布局所提供的升力足以克服微扑翼飞行器本身的重力使其飞行。在此基础上 ,分别计算并分析了拍动幅值、俯仰幅度以及扑翼频率等各种扑翼参数对升力的影响。最后 ,探索性的扑翼风洞试验与飞行试验结果在一定程度上验证了文中计算方法的可行性      

Aerodynamic performance of owl-like airfoil undergoing bio-inspired flapping kinematics

Natural flyers have extraordinary flight skills and their prominent aerodynamic performance has attracted a lot of attention. However, the aerodynamic mechanism of birds' flapping wing kinematics still lacks in-depth understanding. In this paper, the aerodynamic performance of owl-like airfoil undergoing bio-inspired flapping kinematics extracted from a free-flying owl wing has been numerically investigated. The overset mesh technique is used to deal with the large range movements of flapping airfoils. The bio-inspired kinematics consist of plunging and pitching movement. A pure sinusoidal motion and a defined motion composed of plunging of sinusoidal motion and pitching of the bio-inspired kinematics are selected for comparison. The other two NACA airfoils are also selected to figure out the advantages of the owl-like airfoil. It is found that the cambered owl-like airfoil can enhance lift during the downstroke. The bio-inspired kinematics have an obvious advantage in lift generation with a presence of higher peak lift and positive lift over a wider proportion of the flapping cycle. Meanwhile, the bio-inspired motion is more economical for a lower power consumption compared with the sinusoidal motion. The sinusoidal flapping motion is better for thrust generation for a higher peak thrust value in both upstroke and downstroke, while the bio-inspired kinematics mainly generate thrust during the downstroke but produce more drag during the upstroke. The defined motion has similar lift performance with the bio-inspired kinematics, while it consumes more energy and generates less thrust. The unsteady flow field around airfoils is also analyzed to explain the corresponding phenomenon. The research in this paper is helpful to understand the flight mechanism of birds and to design a micro air vehicle with higher performance.     

Lift performance enhancement for flapping airfoils by considering surging motion

The flapping motion has a great impact on the aerodynamic performance of flapping wings. In this paper, a surging motion is added to an airfoil performing pitching-plunging combined motion to figure out how it influences the lift performance and flow pattern of flapping airfoils. Firstly, the numerical methods are validated by a NACA0012 airfoil pitching case and a NACA0012 airfoil plunging case. Then, the E377m airfoil which has typical geometric characteristics of the bird-like airfoil is selected as the calculation model to study how phase differences φ₁ between surging motion and plunging motion affect the aerodynamic performance of flapping airfoils. The results show that the airfoil with surging motion has comprehensively better lift performance and thrust performance than the airfoil without surging motion when 15°< φ₁ < 90°. It is demonstrated that surging motion has a powerful ability to improve the aerodynamic performance of flapping airfoil by adjusting φ₁. Finally, to further explore how flapping airfoil improves lift performance by considering surging motion, the flapping motions of E377m airfoil with the highest lift coefficient and lift efficiency are obtained through trajectory optimization. The surging motion is removed in the highest lift case and highest lift efficiency case respectively, and the mechanism that surging motion adjusts the aerodynamic force is analyzed in detail by comparing the vortex structure and kinematic parameters. The results of this paper help reveal the aerodynamic mechanism of bird flight and guide the design of Flapping wing Micro Air Vehicles (FMAV).     

Flapping and flexible wings for biological and micro air vehicles

Micro air vehicles (MAVs) with wing spans of 15 cm or less, and flight speed of 30–60 kph are of interest for military and civilian applications. There are two prominent features of MAV flight: (i) low Reynolds number (10⁴–10⁵), resulting in unfavorable aerodynamic conditions to support controlled flight, and (ii) small physical dimensions, resulting in certain favorable scaling characteristics including structural strength, reduced stall speed, and low inertia. Based on observations of biological flight vehicles, it appears that wing motion and flexible airfoils are two key attributes for flight at low Reynolds number. The small size of MAVs corresponds in nature to small birds, which do not glide like large birds, but instead flap with considerable change of wing shape during a single flapping cycle. With flapping and flexible wings, birds overcome the deteriorating aerodynamic performance under steady flow conditions by employing unsteady mechanisms. In this article, we review both biological and aeronautical literatures to present salient features relevant to MAVs. We first summarize scaling laws of biological and micro air vehicles involving wing span, wing loading, vehicle mass, cruising speed, flapping frequency, and power. Next we discuss kinematics of flapping wings and aerodynamic models for analyzing lift, drag and power. Then we present issues related to low Reynolds number flows and airfoil shape selection. Recent work on flexible structures capable of adjusting the airfoil shape in response to freestream variations is also discussed.