Aerodynamic-Dynamic Interaction and Longitudinal Stability of Hovering MAVs/Insects

The dynamic stability of flapping micro-air-vehicles is mainly dictated by the contribution of the body motion to the aerodynamic loads driving this motion. This contribution is, in general, relatively small when compared to that of wing flapping. As such, it is usually neglected in aerodynamic/aeroelastic analysis and optimization. However, it is essential in assessing the dynamic stability of the body motion. In this work, we derive a complete nonlinear aerodynamic-dynamic model for the longitudinal flight of micro-air vehicles that accounts for the effects of the body motion on the aerodynamic loads. The averaging theorem is then used to assess the dynamic stability of such nonlinear time periodic system. The stability of five insects is characterized. The effects of the vehicle design parameters, such as flapping frequency; amplitude; and hinge location, on the flight stability are discussed.

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