Wing kinematics and aerodynamics of a hovering flapping Micro Aerial Vehicle

Biological Inspiration for the design of flapping wing vehicles has been the source of numerous design efforts in the field of Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) development. For flapping flight in small birds and insects, high lift generation is typically a result of unsteady fluid flow phenomena. Our previous studies have conceptualized and demonstrated how a dragonfly inspired Quad-Winged Vehicle (QV) can produce higher energy efficiency and increase payload capacity on-board an MAV. The objective of this paper is to further improve on the in-flight aerodynamic efficiency of MAVs and propose improved flapping configuration and kinematics of a light weight wing to enhance lift and aerodynamic efficiency during hovering flight. This paper presents a series of experimental and computational results in the form of performance plots comparing the effects of wing orientation, flapping kinematics: frequency / amplitude and wing feathering, all of which influence the lift and drag generated by the MAV.

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