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).     

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。     

Aerodynamic performance enhancement for flapping airfoils by co-flow jet

Introducing active flow control into the design of flapping wing is an effective way to enhance its aerodynamic performance. In this paper, a novel active flow control technology called Co-Flow Jet (CFJ) is applied to flapping airfoils. The effect of CFJ on aerodynamic performance of flapping airfoils at low Reynolds number is numerically investigated using Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) simulation with Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. Numerical methods are validated by a NACA6415-based CFJ airfoil case and a S809 pitching airfoil case. Then NACA6415 baseline airfoil and NACA6415-based CFJ airfoil with jet-off and jet-on are simulated in flapping motion, with Reynolds number 70,000 and reduced frequency 0.2. As a result, CFJ airfoils with jet-on generally have better lift and thrust characteristics than baseline airfoils and jet-off airfoil when C_μ is greater than 0.04, which results from the CFJ effect of reducing flow separation by injecting high-energy fluid into boundary layer. Besides, typical kinematic and geometric parameters, including the reduced frequency and the positions of the suction and injection slot, are systematically studied to figure out their influence on aerodynamic performance of the CFJ airfoil. And a variable C_μ jet control strategy is proposed to further improve effective propulsive efficiency. Compared with using constant C_μ, an increase of effective propulsive efficiency by 22.6% has been achieved by using prescribed variable C_μ for NACA6415-based CFJ airfoil at frequency 0.2. This study may provide some guidance to performance enhancement for Flapping wing Micro Air Vehicles (FMAV).     

考虑弹性转轴的扑翼三维气动数值计算

通过求解雷诺平均Navier-Stokes方程,研究了同时具有扑动和俯仰运动的三维扑翼气动特性.为了模拟扑翼的弹性特性,在扑翼俯仰轴处设计了扭簧.研究了扑翼平面形状、俯仰弹性轴与质心的相对位置、俯仰刚度变化等参数的影响.结果表明:俯仰角相对扑动角有一个大的相位超前量,且刚度系数越大该超前量越大;考虑了俯仰弹性特征后,计...     

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.     

扑动翼型的低雷诺数气动特性分析

通过求解引入拟压缩项的不可压Navier-Stokes方程,数值模拟了绕扑动翼型的低雷诺数非定常流动。针对厚度在4%-12%之间的NACA对称翼型,分析了翼型厚度等参数对扑动翼型气动特性的影响。在低雷诺数条件下,对于纯俯仰运动,随着翼型厚度的减小,平均阻力系数也变小。而对于纯沉浮运动,发现翼型厚度对气动特性的影响和俯仰运动有很大的差别,平均阻力系数随着翼型厚度的减小而变大。通过对沉浮运动一个周期流线图的分析,认为这是翼型前缘涡的影响造成的。由于前缘涡的影响,翼型厚度增加,平均压差阻力系数变小,甚至会出现负值。雷诺数的影响研究表明,随着雷诺数的增加,扑动翼型的阻力系数减小的趋势越缓慢。     

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 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...     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Aerodynamic periodicity of transient aerodynamic forces of flexible plunging airfoils

For flapping micro-air vehicles, periodical aerodynamics in every plunging period is always desired in the design of aircraft controlling system. During the periodic plunges of rigid airfoil, either periodical or non-periodical aerodynamic forces can be generated. Real airfoils are usually flexible so that the effect of flexibility on unsteady characteristics of aerodynamic periodicity should be considered. In this study, a fluid structure interaction analysis is employed to systematically investigate the aerodynamic periodicity of a periodically plunging flexible airfoil. The influences of several dimensionless kinematic and structural parameters on aerodynamic periodicity are investigated. The results show that the aerodynamic periodicity of plunging flexible airfoil qualitatively resembles that of rigid airfoil as the mechanisms contributing to aerodynamic periodicity are kept for airfoil with various flexibilities. However, aerodynamic periodicity at small plunging amplitude and high Reynolds number can be improved as airfoil becomes medium flexible but worsened as airfoil is very flexible. The reason is that the deformation of the airfoil changes the strength and structure of the nearby vortices, thereby leading to weak vortex–vortex and vortex–airfoil interactions. The extent of improvement in aerodynamic periodicity is also found significantly influenced by incoming velocity.     

基于CFD/CSD紧耦合的旋翼翼型气弹分析

采用CFD/CSD（计算流体力学/计算结构力学）紧耦合的方法,以Fluent软件作为主控平台,通过UDF（用户自定义函数）及I/O（输入/输出）文件读写的方式实现结构响应和气动载荷的数据交换,耦合求解了旋翼桨叶剖面的气动力和振动响应.在此基础上研究旋翼桨叶剖面在变距、沉降（挥舞）和周期交变来流条件下的气动特性和振动响应特性.结果表明:桨叶剖面在轻失速情况下,气动载荷周期性比较好,表现出光滑的迟滞环曲线,结构沉降响应也表现出光滑的周期性现象,扭转响应出现局部轻微振荡.深失速情况下,气动载荷及结构响应都表现出强烈的非线性振荡,高频成分较为明显.      

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。     

翼型前缘变形对动态失速效应影响的数值计算

翼型或机翼的动态失速效应所引起的低头力矩和正气动阻尼限制了飞行器气动性能的提高,甚至可能诱导发生不稳定运动。应用于小尺寸机翼的前缘动态变形（DDLE）技术,通过实时改变前缘形状,能够改善翼型前缘区域的速度梯度,进而抑制动态失速效应。采用转捩剪切应力输运（SST）黏性模型结合分区混合动态网格技术,研究了这种前缘变形对机翼俯仰运动所引起的非定常流动的影响,得到通过小幅度前缘变形抑制和延迟动态失速的方法,从而提高翼型的气动性能。翼型NAC A0012的数值模拟结果与动态失速风洞试验结果比较表明：所使用的数值计算方法能够较为准确地模拟翼型在动态失速过程中升力系数与俯仰力矩系数的变化情况,可用于研究前缘变形对翼型俯仰运动所引起的非定常流动的影响。前缘动态变形翼型俯仰运动过程的非定常流场的数值模拟表明：在大迎角下不同幅度的前缘下垂运动能够抑制流动分离的发生,从而抑制动态失速,但在大迎角下小幅度高频率的前缘下垂变形能更高效地抑制动态失速;前缘变形幅度以及变形沿中弧线的分布对升力系数和俯仰力矩系数的影响并不明显。     

高超声速飞行器宽速域翼型/机翼设计与分析

对于现代高超声速飞行器的设计而言,除了需要保证高超声速的性能外,还必须兼顾满足工程需求的亚跨超声速特性。首先,采用雷诺平均Navier-Stokes（RANS）方程流动求解器,结合基于Kriging模型的代理优化算法,开展了高超声速飞行器宽速域翼型的优化设计研究,设计出了一种下表面具有双"S"形特征的新翼型。综合性能评估结果表明,该翼型相比于常规的高超声速翼型,在跨声速和高超声速下具有更加优良的气动特性;其跨声速状态下的升阻比达到78.9,高超声速状态下的升阻比达到5.94,能够实现宽速域内良好的综合气动性能。其次,开展了仿德国"桑格尔号"（SANGER）空天飞机运载机机翼的气动特性研究,对配置宽速域翼型与常规高超声速翼型的机翼进行了气动力特性综合对比分析。结果表明,配置新翼型的机翼在宽速域范围内整体气动性能更优,说明所设计的宽速域翼型在三维机翼上也具有一定的实用价值。     

二维弹性扑翼沉浮运动流动特性的数值研究

采用非定常势流板块法和Euler-Bernoul1i梁振动微分方程,对后缘带弹性薄板的翼型在作沉浮运动时翼型绕流和薄板弹性振动之间的流-固耦合过程进行数值模拟,并计算流动特性、非定常气动载荷,尤其是沉浮运动的推力效应.用有限差分法求解薄板的弹性变形运动,气动弹性分析采用弱耦合迭代方式.通过对翼型非定常气动力(升力和推力)、推进效率、尾迹脱落涡计算结果的分析发现,通过调整弹性薄板的刚度,可以使得翼型产生最佳的非定常推力.     

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.     

微型扑翼飞行器扑翼/尾翼气动干扰的数值研究

以二维刚性约束条件下的微型扑翼飞行器模型为研究对象,在动网格技术基础上,应用非定常数值分析手段对比分析了单翼/纵列翼布局的气动性能,深入研究了纵列翼缩减频率、扑翼—尾翼无量纲水平间距、来流攻角对其气动性能的影响.结果表明:①纵列翼尾翼对扑翼产生正效应干扰,相对于单翼布局,扑翼—尾翼无量纲水平间距为0.5倍翼型弦长时的纵列翼布局的推力系数和推进效率分别增加28.7%和5.7%;②缩减频率是影响推力的关键参数,随着缩减频率的增加,脱落涡的强度增加,推力系数增大.对于单翼、纵列翼两种布局模式,当缩减频率在1.0附近时推进效率达到最优;③对于纵列翼布局,在扑翼—尾翼无量纲水平间距为1.1倍翼型弦长时推进效率达到峰值;④在0°~20°来流攻角变化范围内,随着来流攻角的增加,升力系数增加,推力系数减小,当来流攻角大于9°时,两种布局的推力均为负值.