Design and analysis of a mechanism creating biaxial wing rotation for applications in flapping-wing air vehicles
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Flapping wing air vehicles, also known as ornithopters, are a promising new technology, especially for the new class of aircraft known as micro air vehicles (MAV). These vehicles are classified by the defense army research project agency (DARPA) to have overall dimensions less than 15 cm. With their small size, MAVs can operate in locations inaccessible to other larger vehicles. Possible applications of MAVs are numerous for both military and civilian purposes. The majority of MAVs in existence have either fixed or rotary wings. Unfortunately, the aerodynamic performance of these vehicles deteriorates as their size decreases. Insects and hummingbirds, however, are much smaller then present MAVs and operate magnificently. These biological designs inspire the creation of flapping wing MAVs, especially for slow-flight and hover-flight MAVs. ☐ Research studies have discovered a variety of aerodynamic mechanisms created by the flapping wing flight of insects. Complex wing rotations about multiple axes have been identified to provide the flight behavior characterized by these newly discovered aerodynamic mechanisms. A major issue in the development of MAVs, is the design of mechanisms that can generate the complex wing motion necessary for the vehicle to fly and hover. This thesis briefly outlines the current theory of flapping wing aerodynamics and applies it in the design of a flapping wing mechanism that can potentially hover. A detailed description of the mechanism is given along with a mathematical model that integrates empirically observed aerodynamic theory along with classical rigid body dynamics of the mechanism. The model helps predict the lift forces and the power requirements of the mechanism. Furthermore, experimental measurements from the prototype help in validation of the theoretical predictions.