Aerodynamic Study and Mechanization Concepts for Flapping-Wing Micro Aerial Vehicles

In order to investigate the feasibility of a highly efficient flapping system that is capable of avian maneuvers such as rapid takeoff, hover and gliding, numerical and experimental studies have been conducted on the flapping wing kinematics and aerodynamics, and on the mechanization and design requirements for a bird-like micro aerial vehicle (MAV). An unsteady viscous flow simulation has been performed using a 3D Navier-Stokes code in investigating the effects of dynamic stall phenomenon on the propulsive efficiency, thrust, and lift of the flapping wing. A mechanical flapping-wing micro aerial vehicle that utilizes both the flapping and feathering characteristics of a typical pigeon (Columba livia) has been successfully constructed, and has indicated excellent aerodynamic performance during preliminary wind tunnel testing. The flapping-feathering mechanism employed in this MAV model has been synthesized and constructed so as to best describe the properly coordinated flapping and feathering motions of the wing at an optimum phase angle difference of 90 o in a horizontal steady level flight condition.

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