扑翼柔性及其对气动特性的影响

以往对扑翼气动特性的研究基本上都是基于简单的匀速刚性模型,但是通过大量观察不同飞鸟的扑翼动作发现,该模型与鸟翼的实际扑动还有很大差别。鸟翼不但上扑段和下扑段所需时间不同,而且在扑动过程中,鸟翼的形状无论沿弦向或展向都存在着相当大的柔性变形。本文在原有匀速刚性模型的基础上,加入了扑动速率变化和形状变化的影响,得出新的变速柔性扑翼分析模型,使之更接近鸟翼柔性扑动的真实情况。通过对比计算发现,柔性变形对扑翼的升力与推力都有着显著影响,如果控制得当,柔性变形能大大改善扑翼的气动性能。     

个体水平间距对群组中扑翼气动性能的影响

研究群组中个体之间的非定常流动机理,可以为仿生飞行器集群运动提供理论基础。采用基于有限元的计算流体力学方法,对前飞状态的扑翼群组个体之间水平间距对气动性能的影响进行研究。研究发现,水平间距对扑翼气动性能具有显著影响。在一定的垂直间距下,群组中扑翼可以在较小的水平间距下获得最佳的推力性能,在较大的水平间距下可以获得最佳的升力性能。扑翼气动性能的变化主要与群组中前翼和后翼的脱落涡相互作用密切相关。     

柔性扑翼的气动特性研究

以往扑翼的气动力计算研究都很少考虑扑翼的柔性,而在鸟的扑翼动作中,在外加气动力和鸟自身的扑动力作用下,扑翼的柔性变形相当大。本文在原有匀速刚性模型的基础上,提出考虑了扑翼扑动速率变化和形状变化的扑翼分析模型,使之更接近鸟翼柔性扑动真实情况。通过计算分析气动特性发现,控制适当的话,柔性变形能大大改善扑翼的气动性能。本文通过模拟鸟扑翼的柔性运动,计算了时柔性扑翼气动力以及平均升力系数和平均推力系数随着扑动角、倾斜角等参数变化的情况,从而从气动的角度解释了为什么鸟在不同的飞行阶段扑翼规律各不相同,并为柔性扑翼飞行器的设计提供了理论依据。     

扑翼飞行器带翼刀机翼气动特性实验研究

通过进行微型扑翼飞行器低速风洞试验,研究了带弯度机翼下翼面翼刀对扑翼飞行器升阻特性的影响。文中进行了带翼刀机翼和不带翼刀机翼在不同迎角下的风洞吹风试验。试验结果表明,带翼刀机翼升力系数大于不带翼刀机翼升力系数,从而证明了翼刀可以阻止机翼下表面气流展向流动,起到增加机翼升力的作用。当扑翼在小迎角飞行时,带翼刀机翼可以有效地提高扑翼的气动效率,改善扑翼的飞行性能。研究结果可为带翼刀机翼在扑翼飞行器上的应用提供技术支持。     

两串列扑翼的相位差对平均推力影响机理的实验研究

在一个低雷诺数的循环水洞中,实验研究了前后翅翼之间的相位差对两串列扑翼平均推力的影响.利用一个三分量的Kistler 压力传感器来测量扑翼的瞬时力;利用一个数字粒子测速仪系统(TSI DPIV) 来测量扑翼的前缘涡以及其周围的流场. 当相位差从0° 增加到360°,前翅的平均推力随着相位差正弦变化;前翅平均推力的增加是由于后翅的前缘涡和滞止区域增加了前翅的有效攻角. 后翅平均推力曲线有一个明显的V 字形低谷.低谷处较小的平均推力是由于前翅的脱落涡抑制了后翅前缘涡的形成并且减小了其有效攻角.当间距为0.5倍弦长相位差约为290°时,前后翅翼平均推力系数的合值能达到最大值0.667,明显大于两倍的单翼平均推力系数(2×0.255).      

基于浸入边界法的扑翼飞行数值模拟

本文提出了基于浸入边界法的扑翼鸟建模与仿真,首先检验了数值方法的精确性,而后对NACA 0012翼型的升沉运动与俯仰运动进行了研究,最后对三维扑翼的翅膀拍动时间非对称性进行了研究。结果表明：浸入边界法对拍动翼型的模拟能够很好地和文献结果吻合。升沉运动的推进能力由翼型前缘涡的大小和位置决定,升沉运动推进效率的峰值主要集中在0.3≤St≤0.4时。升沉运动耦合俯仰运动时,在俯仰角25°及相位差85°时,推进效率达到峰值。在三维模拟中,适当增加翅膀下拍速度,能提供更大的升力,同时耗能也更高。研究结果可以为微型扑翼飞行器的扑动参数设置提供参考。

     

膜扑翼飞行器的变形研究

最近昆虫翼的变形成了研究热点,而扑翼飞行器的变形力学研究却几乎无人问津.然而,无论昆虫、鸟类还是扑翼飞行器在飞行时,翼的变形都是存在的,要精确计算翼扑动产生的气动力,必须考虑其变形.本文比较了导致变形产生的膜扑翼飞行器的惯性力和气动力在一个周期中的变化情况,发现它们的峰值比值为2左右,然后提出了在随体坐标系中的固支边界条件,采用有限元法计算了惯性力和气动力分别对变形的影响,发现扑翼飞行器的气动力对变形的影响是不可忽略的重要因素,而惯性力与气动力的合力引起的最大正变形发生在下扑初始阶段,最大负变形发生在上扑初始阶段.本文为扑翼飞行器的设计提供了力学分析基础.     

N-S方程数值研究翼型对微型扑翼气动特性的影响

首先基于嵌套网格发展了一套适用于三维扑翼研究的非定常雷诺平均Navier-Stokes(RANS)方程数值模拟方法.为了解决微型扑翼在低马赫数下的收敛问题,使用了预处理方法,湍流模型为BL模型.在该方法的基础上,保持状态参数和扑翼表面形状一定的情况下,分别研究了一系列不同厚度、不同弯度的翼型对于微型扑翼气动特性的影响....     

扑翼飞行器的凸轮摇杆型扑动机构设计与气动力学分析

为了提高扑翼飞行器的飞行性能,借鉴大型鸟类的飞行运动特征,设计了一种以凸轮摇杆为扑动机构的新型扑翼飞行器,建立了扑动机构的运动学和气动力学模型.结果表明:通过大型鸟类翅翼扑动规律对凸轮机构进行优化设计,得到了扑翼下扑占据整个扑动行程的60％左右;而提出的凸轮摇杆扑动机构的运动学模型,能够求解扑翼飞行器的相关运动参数.基...     

排翼布局飞行器气动性能的实验研究

通过低速低湍流度风洞实验,研究了利用排翼布局改善充气飞机采用大厚度翼型机翼带来的气动效率偏低问题。首先比较了采用不同厚度翼型的单翼与排式双翼布局的气动特性。在此基础上,为了优化排翼布局的气动特性,研究了给后翼安装偏转角对排翼布局气动特性的影响。同时,基于NACA0030翼型,设计了波纹型外形的充气机翼,比较了此外形下单翼和排翼布局气动性能的差异。实验结果表明,采用排翼布局能够改善采用厚翼型单翼布局的气动性能,而给后翼安装一定偏转角可以进一步提高排翼布局的升力和升阻比。采用波纹外形和光滑外形机翼模型的对比结果表明,波纹外形能够在大迎角时改善充气机翼的失速性能。分析认为,造成这一现象的流动机理是由于波纹型机翼在实验条件下提前由层流转捩为湍流,使失速推迟,流动分离现象有所减弱。     

Numerical analysis of the s1020 airfoils in tandem under different flapping configurations

The objective of this project is to improve the performance of the efficiency, thrust and lift of flapping wings in tandem arrangement. This research investigates the effect of the arrangement of the airfoils in tandem on the performance of the airfoils by varying the phase difference and distance between the airfoils. Three flapping configurations from an earlier phase of a research which gives high efficiency, thrust and lift are used in the tandem simulation. It is found all the different flapping configurations show improvement in the efficiency, thrust or lift when the distance between the two airfoils and the phase angle between the heaving positions of the two airfoils are optimal. The average thrust coefficient of the tandem arrangement managed to attain more than twice that of the single one （4.84 vs. 2.05）. On the other hand, the average lift coefficient of the tandem arrangement also increased to 4.59, as compared to the original single airfoil value of 3.04. All these results obtained will aid in the design of a better ornithopter with tandem wing arrangement.     

Experimental investigation on aerodynamic performance of a flapping wing vehicle in forward flight

The aerodynamic performance of a flexible membrane flapping wing has been investigated here. For this purpose, a flapping-wing system and an experimental set-up were designed to measure the unsteady aerodynamic forces of the flapping wing motion. A one-component force balance was set up to record the temporal variations of aerodynamic forces. The flapping wing was studied in a large low-speed wind tunnel. The lift and thrust of this mechanism were measured for different flapping frequencies, angles of attack and for various wind tunnel velocities. Results indicate that the thrust increases with the flapping frequency. An increase in the wind tunnel speed and flow angle of attack leads to reduction in the thrust value and increases the lift component. The aerodynamic and performance parameters were nondimensionalized. Appropriate models were introduced which show its aerodynamic performance and may be used in the design process and also optimization of the flapping wing.     

Effects of aspect ratio on flapping wing aerodynamics in animal flight

Morphology as well as kinematics is a critical determinant of performance in flapping flight.To understand the effects of the structural traits on aerodynamics of bioflyers,three rectangular wings with aspect ratios（AR）of1,2,and 4 performing hovering-like sinusoidal kinematics at wingtip based Reynolds number of 5 300 are experimentally investigated.Flow structures on sectional cuts along the wing span are compared.Stronger K-H instability is found on the leading edge vortex of wings with higher aspect ratios.Vortex bursting only appears on the outer spanwise locations of high-aspect-ratio wings.The vortex bursting on high-aspect-ratio wings is perhaps one of the reasons why bio-flyers normally have low-aspect-ratio wings.Quantitative analysis exhibits larger dimensionless circulation of the leading edge vortex（LEV）over higher aspect ratio wings except when vortex bursting happens.The average dimensionless circulation of AR1 and AR2 along the span almost equals the dimensionless circulation at the 50%span.The flow structure and the circulation analysis show that the sinusoidal kinematics suppresses breakdown of the LEV compared with simplified flapping kinematics used in similar studies.The Reynolds number effect results on AR4 show that in the current Re range,the overall flow structure is not sensitive to Reynolds number.     

Thrust augmentation of flapping airfoils in low Reynolds number flow using a flexible membrane

The unsteady aerodynamic thrust and aeroelastic response of a two-dimensional membrane airfoil under prescribed harmonic motion are investigated computationally with a high-order Navier–Stokes solver coupled to a nonlinear membrane structural model. The effects of membrane prestress and elasticity are examined parametrically for selected plunge and pitch–plunge motions at a chord-based Reynolds number of 2500. The importance of inertial membrane loads resulting from the prescribed flapping is also assessed for pure plunging motions. This study compares the period-averaged aerodynamic loads of flexible versus rigid membrane airfoils and highlights the vortex structures and salient fluid–membrane interactions that enable more efficient flapping thrust production in low Reynolds number flows.     

The influence of the wake of a flapping wing on the production of aerodynamic forces

The effect of the wake of previous strokes on the aerodynamic forces of a flapping model insect wing is studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The wake effect is isolated by comparing the forces and flows of the starting stroke (when the wake has not developed) with those of a later stroke (when the wake has developed). The following has been shown. (1) The wake effect may increase or decrease the lift and drag at the beginning of a half-stroke (downstroke or upstroke), depending on the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the half-stroke, the wing ``impinges' on the spanwise vorticity generated by the wing during stroke reversal and the distribution of the vorticity is sensitive to the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. (2) The wake effect decreases the lift and increases the drag in the rest part of the half-stroke. This is because the wing moves in a downwash field induced by previous half-stroke's starting vortex, tip vortices and attached leading edge vortex (these vortices form a downwash producing vortex ring). (3) The wake effect decreases the mean lift by 6%–18% (depending on wing kinematics at stroke reversal) and slightly increases the mean drag. Therefore, it is detrimental to the aerodynamic performance of the flapping wing. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10232010) and the National Aeronautic Science Fund of China(03A51049) The English text was polished by Xing Zhang     

Stability and coupled dynamics of three-dimensional dual inverted flags

Fluid–structure interaction of an inverted flag, which has a free leading edge and a clamped trailing edge, has drawn attention recently because of its novel properties such as divergence stability, a low stability threshold, and large-amplitude flapping motion. In this study, the stability and flapping behaviors of dual inverted flags with finite height are investigated for a side-by-side arrangement, and their noticeable characteristics are compared to those of dual conventional flags. The critical velocity at which the inverted flags break the equilibrium of a straight configuration reduces monotonically when a gap distance between the two flags becomes smaller and an aspect ratio becomes larger, which is also predicted by our linear stability analysis using simple theoretical models of two-dimensional flags and slender flags. After bifurcation, in addition to the synchronized in-phase and out-of-phase modes commonly observed in dual conventional flags, a novel attached mode appears which is mainly observed for small gap distance and small aspect ratio. In this non-linear mode, the leading edges of the two inverted flags touch each other on a midline, and the deformed inverted flags maintain static equilibrium. In a non-linear flapping regime, a new mechanism of a mode transition from an out-of-phase mode to an in-phase mode is identified, which is allowed by the collision of the two flags flapping with large amplitude.     

The effect of phase angle and wing spacing on tandem flapping wings

In a tandem wing configuration, the hindwing often operates in the wake of the forewing and, hence, its performance is affected by the vortices shed by the forewing. Changes in the phase angle between the flapping motions of the fore and the hind wings, as well as the spacing between them, can affect the resulting vortex/wing and vortex/vortex interactions. This study uses 2D numerical simulations to investigate how these changes affect the leading dege vortexes (LEV) generated by the hindwing and the resulting effect on the lift and thrust coefficients as well as the efficiencies. The tandem wing configuration was simulated using an incompressible Navier-Stokes solver at a chord-based Reynolds number of 5 000. A harmonic single frequency sinusoidal oscillation consisting of a combined pitch and plunge motion was used for the flapping wing kinematics at a Strouhal number of 0.3. Four different spacings ranging from 0.1 chords to 1 chord were tested at three different phase angles, 0°, 90° and 180°. It was found that changes in the spacing and phase angle affected the timing of the interaction between the vortex shed from the forewing and the hindwing. Such an interaction affects the LEV formation on the hindwing and results in changes in aerodynamic force production and efficiencies of the hindwing. It is also observed that changing the phase angle has a similar effect as changing the spacing. The results further show that at different spacings the peak force generation occurs at different phase angles, as do the peak efficiencies.     

Aerodynamic force and flow structures of two airfoils in flapping motions

Aerodynamic force and flow structures of two airfoils in a tandem configuration in flapping motions are studied, by solving the Navier-Stokes equations in moving overset grids. Three typical phase differences between the fore- and aftairfoil flapping cycles are considered. It is shown that: (1) in the case of no interaction (single airfoil), the time average of the vertical force coefficient over the downstroke is 2.74, which is about 3 times as large as the maximum steady-state lift coefficient of a dragonfly wing; the time average of the horizontal force coefficient is 1.97, which is also large. The reasons for the large force coefficients are the acceleration at the beginning of a stroke, the delayed stall and the “pitching-up” motion near the end of the stroke. (2) In the cases of two-airfoils, the time-variations of the force and moment coefficients on each airfoil are broadly similar to that of the single airfoil in that the vertical force is mainly produced in downstroke and the horizontal force in upstroke, but very large differences exist due to the interaction. (3) For in-phase stroking, the major differences caused by the interaction are that the vertical force on FA in downstroke is increased and the horizontal force on FA in upstroke decreased. As a result, the magnitude of the resultant force is almost unchanged but it inclines less forward. (4) For counter stroking, the major differences are that the vertical force on AA in downstroke and the horizontal force on FA in upstroke are decreased. As a result, the magnitude of the resultant force is decreased by about 20 percent but its direction is almost unchanged. (5) For 90°-phase-difference stroking, the major differences are that the vertical force on AA in downstroke and the horizontal force on FA in upstroke are decreased greatly and the horizontal force on AA in upstroke increased. As a result, the magnitude of the resultant force is decreased by about 28% and it inclines more forward. (6) Among the three cases of phase angles, inphase flapping produces the largest vertical force (also the largest resultant force); the 90°-phase-difference flapping results in the largest horizontal force, but the smallest resultant force.