An integrated experimental and computational approach to analyze flexible flapping wings in hover

Pin Wu*, Erik Sällström, Lawrence Ukeiley, Peter Ifju, Satish Chimakurthi, Hikaru Aono, Carlos E.S. Cesnik, Wei Shyy

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference Proceeding/ReportConference Paper published in a bookpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Biological flyers exploit wing deformation during flapping flight. There is a substantial need to improve the understanding of the aeroelastic effects associated with the wing deformation to build flapping wing micro air vehicles. This paper presents an effort to develop an integrated approach involving both experimental and computational methods to realize this goal. As the first step, an isotropic flat plate aluminum wing is manufactured and actuated to perform a single degree-of-freedom flapping motion. The wing deformation and airflow around the wing are measured with digital image correlation (DIC) and particle image velocimetry (PIV), respectively. Computational analyses are performed on this wing configuration using a combined nonlinear structural dynamics and Navier-Stokes solution. Reasonable agreement obtained between experimental and computational data in this preliminary effort shows a potential to analyze more complicated flexible flapping wings in future.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationStructural Dynamics - Proceedings of the 28th IMAC, A Conference on Structural Dynamics, 2010
PublisherSpringer New York LLC
Pages1441-1451
Number of pages11
EditionPART 2
ISBN (Print)9781441998330
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameConference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series
NumberPART 2
Volume3
ISSN (Print)2191-5644
ISSN (Electronic)2191-5652

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