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。     

Effect of flexibility on unsteady aerodynamics forces of a purely plunging airfoil

Introducing flexibility into the design of a vertically flapping wing is an effective way to enhance its aerodynamic performance. As less previous studies on the aerodynamics of vertically flapping flexible wings focused on the lift generated in a wide range of angle of attack·a 2D numerical simulation of a purely plunging flexible airfoil is employed using a loose fluid–structure interaction method. The aerodynamics of a fully flexible airfoil are firstly studied with the flexibility and angle of attack. To verify whether an airfoil could get aerodynamic benefit from the change in structure, partially flexible airfoil with rigid leading edge and flexible trailing edge were further considered. Results show that flexibility could always reduce airfoil drag while lift and lift efficiency both peak at moderate flexibility. When freestream velocity is constant, lift is maximized at a high angle of attack about 40° while this optimal angle of attack reduces to 15° in drag-balanced status. The airfoil drag reduction, lift augmentation as well as efficiency enhancement mainly attribute to the passive pitching other than the camber deformation. Partially deformed airfoil with the longest length of moderate flexible trailing edge can achieve the highest lift. This study may provide some guidance in the wing design of Micro Air Vehicle (MAV).     

Unsteady aerodynamics and flow control for flapping wing flyers

The creation of micro air vehicles (MAVs) of the same general sizes and weight as natural fliers has spawned renewed interest in flapping wing flight. With a wingspan of approximately 15 cm and a flight speed of a few meters per second, MAVs experience the same low Reynolds number (10⁴–10⁵) flight conditions as their biological counterparts. In this flow regime, rigid fixed wings drop dramatically in aerodynamic performance while flexible flapping wings gain efficacy and are the preferred propulsion method for small natural fliers. Researchers have long realized that steady-state aerodynamics does not properly capture the physical phenomena or forces present in flapping flight at this scale. Hence, unsteady flow mechanisms must dominate this regime. Furthermore, due to the low flight speeds, any disturbance such as gusts or wind will dramatically change the aerodynamic conditions around the MAV. In response, a suitable feedback control system and actuation technology must be developed so that the wing can maintain its aerodynamic efficiency in this extremely dynamic situation; one where the unsteady separated flow field and wing structure are tightly coupled and interact nonlinearly. For instance, birds and bats control their flexible wings with muscle tissue to successfully deal with rapid changes in the flow environment. Drawing from their example, perhaps MAVs can use lightweight actuators in conjunction with adaptive feedback control to shape the wing and achieve active flow control. This article first reviews the scaling laws and unsteady flow regime constraining both biological and man-made fliers. Then a summary of vortex dominated unsteady aerodynamics follows. Next, aeroelastic coupling and its effect on lift and thrust are discussed. Afterwards, flow control strategies found in nature and devised by man to deal with separated flows are examined. Recent work is also presented in using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators and angular speed variation to achieve active flow control for MAVs. Finally, an explanation for aerodynamic gains seen in flexible versus rigid membrane wings, derived from an unsteady three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model with an integrated distributed control algorithm, is presented.     

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.     

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.     

倾转旋翼机飞行力学特性

总结和分析了旋翼、机翼、机身、短舱和尾翼气动力模型和操纵机构特点,其中旋翼气动力模型以准定常叶素理论为基础,机翼和尾翼气动力模型以升力线理论为基础,并分析了旋翼尾流对机翼气动力气动干扰问题;建立了全量非线性倾转旋翼机飞行力学模型;以XV-15为样机,对倾转旋翼机在不同飞行模式和飞行速度下飞行力学特性展开了详细研究,得到的结论有助于深入了解倾转旋翼机飞行力学特性,也可用于倾转旋翼机飞行控制系统设计.      

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      

A review of bird-like flapping wing with high aspect ratio

Bird-like flapping-wing vehicles with a high aspect ratio have the potential to fulfill missions given to micro air vehicles, such as high-altitude reconnaissance, surveillance, rescue, and bird group guidance, due to their good loading and long endurance capacities. Biologists and aeronautical researchers have explored the mystery of avian flight and made efforts to reproduce flapping flight in bioinspired aircraft for decades. However, the cognitive depth from theory to practice is still very limited. The mechanism of generating sufficient lift and thrust during avian flight is still not fully understood. Moving wings with unique biological structures such as feathers make modeling, simulation, experimentation, and analysis much more difficult. This paper reviews the research progress on bird-like flapping wings from flight mechanisms to modeling. Commonly used numerical computing methods are briefly compared. The aeroelastic problems are also highlighted. The results of the investigation show that a leading-edge vortex can be found during avian flight. Its induction and maintenance may have a close relationship with wing configuration, kinematics and deformation. The present models of flapping wings are mainly two-dimensional airfoils or three-dimensional single root-jointed geometric plates, which still exhibit large differences from real bird wings. Aeroelasticity is encouraged to consider the nonignorable effect on aerodynamic performance due to large-scale nonlinear deformation. Introducing appropriate flexibility can improve the peak values and efficiencies of lift and thrust, but the detailed conclusions always have strong background dependence.     

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.     

微型扑翼飞行器风洞试验初步研究

 为了对微型扑翼飞行器空气动力学基本特性进行定量研究,利用西北工业大学微型飞行器专用风洞对微型扑翼飞行器机翼进行初步风洞吹风试验。试验中进行了扑动频率、风速、迎角、机翼平面形状、翼型弯度对机翼气动特性影响的研究。通过试验得出了微型扑翼飞行器升力、推力产生的基本规律,为微型扑翼飞行器总体设计和气动设计提供了参考。     

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.      

基于CFD／CSD的大展弦比机翼气动弹性分析

大展弦比飞机在飞行过程中受气动载荷影响,其大展弦比机翼产生弯曲和扭转变形,这种弹性变形严重影响飞机的飞行性能和飞行安全,不能将此种飞机机翼当作传统的刚性机翼进行气动分析。针对一大展弦比机翼,采用气动／结构耦合分析方法,利用计算流体动力学（CFD）软件CFX和计算结构动力学（CSD）软件ANSYS联合求解,研究了在不同载荷情况下大展弦比机翼静气动弹性变形对机翼气动特性的影响。结果表明,大展弦比无人机机翼受载变形后升阻比降低,升力下降明显,阻力略有上升,机翼翼尖容易失速。     

Unsteady characteristic research on aerodynamic interaction of slotted wingtip in flapping kinematics

The slotted wingtip structure of birds is considered to be the product of improving flight efficiency in the process of evolution. It can change the vortex structure of wingtip and improve aerodynamic efficiency. This paper reports a numerical investigation of slotted wing configuration undergoing bio-inspired flapping kinematics(consisting of plunging and in-line movement)extracted from a free-flying bald eagle wing. The aim is to eluci-date the collective mechanism of the flow generated by slo...     

基于CFD/CSD方法的蜻蜓柔性翼气动特性分析

给出了一种基于计算流体力学/计算结构力学（CFD/CSD）的双向流固耦合方法.通过交替数字二叉树（ADT）搜索技术识别流固网格之间的宿主-受体关系.采用局部插值算法完成两套网格系统之间的数据交换,并使用Delaunay图映射方法来完成气动网格的移动.将自编的非线性结构有限元程序、接口程序与南京航空航天大学（NUAA）微型飞行器中心的流体计算程序3D2MUFS相连接,应用于蜻蜓柔性翼拍动飞行的气动计算中.计算结果表明:柔性变形使得蜻蜓翼的时均举力系数从0.31提高到0.53,时均推力系数从0.07提高到0.13,证实了柔性变形能改善扑翼的气动性能.      

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。     

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。     

Fixed membrane wings for micro air vehicles: Experimental characterization,numerical modeling,and tailoring

Fixed wing micro air vehicles (wingspan between 10 and 15 cm) are aerodynamically challenging due to the low Reynolds number regime (10⁴–10⁵) they operate in. The low aspect ratio wings (typically used to maximize area under a size constraint) promote strong tip vortices, and are susceptible to rolling instabilities. Wind gusts can be of the same order of magnitude as the flight speed (10–15 m/s). Standard control surfaces on an empennage must be eliminated for size considerations and drag reduction, and the range of stable center of gravity locations is only a few millimeters long. Membrane aeroelasticity has been identified as a tenable method to alleviate these issues: flexible wing structures with geometric twist (adaptive washout for gust rejection, delayed stall) and aerodynamic twist (adaptive inflation for high lift, larger stability margins) are both considered here. Recent investigations in static aeroelastic characterization, including flight loads, wing deformation, flow structures, aeroelastic-tailoring studies through laminate orientation, as well as unconventional techniques based on membrane pre-tension, are reviewed. Multi-objective optimization aimed at improving lift, drag, and pitching moment considerations is also discussed.     

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.     

Nonlinear dynamics of a flapping rotary wing: Modeling and optimal wing kinematic analysis

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.