Due to their small size and flight regime, coupling of aerodynamics, structural dynamics, and flight dynamics is critical for Micro Aerial Vehicles. This paper presents a computational framework for simulating structural models of varied fidelity and a Navier-Stokes solver, aimed at simulating flapping and flexible wings. The structural model utilizes either (i) the in-house developed UM/NLABS,...

Abstract. This paper discusses the use of multibody dynamics, augmented by the direct implementation of nonlinear finite element beams and significantly shells, to perform the coupled structural and fluid-dynamics analysis of flapping wing Micro-Aerial Vehicles. The implementation of the shell formulation in a free general-purpose multibody solver is described and validated. The solver, coupled...

Most biological flyers undergo orderly deformation in flight, and the deformations of wings lead to complex fluid-structure interactions. In this paper, an aerodynamic-structural coupling method of flapping wing is developed based on ANSYS to simulate the flapping of flexible wing. Firstly, a three-dimensional model of the cicada’s wing is established. Then, numerical simulation method of unste...

The objective of this paper is to clarify the principle of stabilization in flapping-of-wings flight of a butterfly, which is rhythmic and cyclic motion. For this purpose, a dynamics model of a butterfly is derived by Lagrange’s method, where the butterfly is considered as a rigid multi-body system. For the aerodynamic forces, a panel method is applied. Validity of the mathematical models is sh...

Flexible flapping wings have garnered a large amount of attention within the micro aerial vehicle (MAV) community: a critical component of MAV flight is the coupling of aerodynamics and structural dynamics. This paper presents a computational framework for simulating shell-like wing structures flapping in incompressible flow at low Reynolds numbers in both hover and forward flight. The framewor...

Within the growing family of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (MAV) are a relatively new field of research. Inspired by small size and agile flight of insects and birds, these systems offer a great potential for applications such as reconnaissance, surveillance, search and rescue, mapping, etc. Nevertheless, practicality of these vehicles depends on how we add...

Unsteady flow models of wings and airfoils have been studied to understand the aerodynamic performance of natural flyers and provide improved maneuverability for micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). Vortex methods have been extensively applied to reduce the dimensionality of these aerodynamic models, based on the proper estimation of the distribution and evolution of the vortices in the wake. In such ...

Ornithopters, or flapping-wing aircraft, offer an alternative to helicopters in achieving manoeuvrability at small scales, although stabilizing such aerial vehicles remains a key challenge. Here, we present a hovering machine that achieves self-righting flight using flapping wings alone, without relying on additional aerodynamic surfaces and without feedback control. We design, construct and te...

This paper presents a geometric framework for analysis of dynamics of flapping wing micro aerial vehicles (FWMAV) which achieve locomotion in the special Euclidean group SE(3) using internal shape changes. We review the special structure of the configuration manifold of such systems. This work addresses to extend the work in geometric locomotion to the aerial locomotion problem. Furthermore, th...