19/09/2016 HowOrnithoptersFlyTheHandbook

TheHandbook
Contents: 1.Handbook
2.Calculatingflappingwingsunderthe
preconditionofquasistationaryconditions
3.Resultofthelatestresearch
4.Thetipvortexoftheflappingwing
5.Formationflightofbirds
6.Externallinkstothetheoryofflappingwings

1.Handbook
(handbookHowOrnithoptersFlyonlyinGerman)

Howdoesanornithoptercreatethrustandliftdespiteofalternatingflappingdirections?Theanswer
canbefoundinthehandbookbasedonwellknownresultsofresearch.Apartfromtheaerodynamicsof
upanddownstroke,thedynamicsoftheflappingwingisalsotakenintoconsideration.Thecorrelations
aredescribedwithequationsanddiagrams.Yourowncalculationsaremadepossible,whichmaybe
helpfulfordevelopingspecificornithoptermodels.Furthermore,youwillfindusefultipsforornithopter
modelsinpractice.
Therelativelysimpleequationsforchangingcirculationdistributionsmakeitpossibletovarythelift
distributionandtodeterminetheappropriatewingtwisting.

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Vortexsystembehindanornithopter

Theornithoptersubjectalsoextendstothefieldofbionics.Itisanattempttodevelopbetterornithopters
byunderstandingthebiologicaldesignprinciplesofbirds.
Youcandownloadthehandbook(inGerman)andphotos.

handbookwithoutphotos PDF3.3MB
photos PDF5.9MB
handbookwithphotos PDF9.2MB

ThehandbookwastranslatedinFrenchbyJeanLouisSolignac.Withhisknowledgeasanaerodynamics
expertandwithhisexperiencehehascontributedalottotheimprovementofthehandbook.

JeanLouisSolignac,MatredeRecherche,actedasdeputyheadofthedepartmentPrinciplesof
AerodynamicsinthedirectorateofaerodynamicsofthenationalFrenchresearchinstituteO.N.E.R.A.
(OfficeNationald'tudesetdeRecherchesArospatiales).Youcanfindhistranslationofthehandbook
hereontheFrenchsite.

Thephotosofthehandbook

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2.Calculatingflappingwings
underthepreconditionofquasistationaryconditions

Theequationspresentedinthehandbookareusedinseveralcalculatingtools.Therebyunderliesthe
followingmethodofcalculation.
First,theflappingwingistheoreticallydevidedintostripeswithaverysmallspan.Then,foreachof
thesewingsectionstheaerodynamicforcesarecalculatedunderstationaryorconstantoncomingairflow
conditions.Theirsumresultsfromanumericalintegrationoverthewholewingspan.
Thisway,yougetthetotalforcesofliftandpropulsionoftheflapping
wingatafixedmomentoftimeoftheflappingcycle.Thecorresponding
wingtwisting,theprofileandinduceddragcanbedeterminedinthe
courseofthiscalculatingscheme,too.
Thisprocessisrepeatedinequaltime
segmentsofthewingstrokemotion.
Thereby,thechangedfactorsasfor
instancethedistributionofcirculation,
conditionsofoncomingairfloworthe
dihedralofthewingformthebasis.Atthe
sametime,stationaryconditionsare Locationsforcalculation
postulated.Itisthereforepresumedthatthe
airflowdoesnotchangeduringthetimespanofcalculating.Furthermore,
Configurationoftheforces unsteadyairflowbehaviourisnotconsidered.
Thatwaythusbystringingtogetherdifferentsteadyconditionstimeforceprogressionunderquasi
steadyconditionsresults.
Theforceofawholestrokemotioncanbeobtainedbynumericintegrationoftheforceprogressionover
theconsideredtimespan.Thereby,upanddownstrokeofthewingareadvisablyconsideredseparately.
Finally,thesummaryofupanddownstrokeforcesleadstothetotalforcesofawholeflappingcycle.
Butaccordingto ErichvonHolstthisquasisteadymethod>onlyleads
tousefulresultsduringafastforwardflightwithrelativelylowflapping
frequencies(largebirds).Otherwise,theinfluencesofunsteadyairstream
behaviousbecometoostrong.Laterpublicationsverifytheseconstraints.
AsanexamplealsothefollowinganalysisbyM.Neef.

Frequencyofwingbeats
andtheweightofbirds
by HeinrichHertel

3.Resultofthelatestresearch

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Dr.Ing.MatthiasF.NeefhasexaminedinhisdissertationAnalysisoftheflappingflightbynumeric
flowdesignengineeringtheunsteadyflowatamovedwing.Thereby,hereachedasimilarvorticity
systemasaforesaid.However,hispicturewithasinusoidalflappingmotionsequenceismorespecified
andmoredetailed.

Isolinesofthecirculationalongtheflightpath

Thedissertationincludesageneralviewaboutflappingflightandmoreexcitingpictures(Pleaselookat
externallink1.and2.).

4.Thetipvortexoftheflappingwing
Theisolinesofcirculationofaflappingwingshownabovealsocanbevisualizedassinglevortex
filaments.
Vortexfilamentsruningparallelandwithasimilardirectionofcirculation,twistthemselvestoasingle
vortexintheirsharedcenteratthewakeofthewing.
Thisway,themajorityofthevortexfilamentscombinedbuildupthe
wingtipvortex.Duringtheflappingcycleitsstartingpointismoving
backandforthalongthetrailingedgeofthewingespeciallyinthe
upstroke.Therefore,thevortextrailbehindtheflappingwinginplan
viewshowslateralcontractionsinregularintervals.
Alsoatbirds,whichareflyingincruiseflight(Flyingwithlift)the
Wingtipvorticesoftheflapping
wing lateralmovementofthestartingpointofthevortexalongthetrailing
edgeofthewinghasalreadybeenobserved(Pleaselookatexternallink3,
Fig.1).ThiscontinuousvortexgaitiscontrarytothevortexringgaitwhenbirdsFlyingwiththrust.
Whenweimaginethewingtipvortexintheadjacentpictureinthree
dimensionsbeawareasurprisingview.
Thestartingpointofthevortexofonewingsidenotonlymovesback
andforthalongthetrailingedgeofthewing.Italsofollowstheflapping
motion.Seeninflightdirectionthesebothmovementstogetherresulted
inanapproximatelycircularpathline.Ifnowalsoincludetheforward
motionoftheflappingwingoneseesthehelicalshapeofthewingtip
Helicalwingtipvorticesor vortexspreadingbackwards.
slipstreams(blastofair)ofa
Alsothetipvorticesofapropellerarearrangedinahelicalshape
birdincontinuousvortexgait
duringcruiseflight (Pleaselookatexternallink4).Theywrappedthepropellerslipstream
andareanessentialpartofit.Inoppositetothepropellerattheflapping
wingsimplythewindingsofthetipvorticesarepulledmoreapart.Hence,inthethreedimensionalview
ofthisvortexpicturewillbevisibleaslipstreamateachsideoftheflappingwing.

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Anaccordingvortexstructureisdesirablealsoatornithoptersincruiseflight.Thereforealsointhe
upstroke,alargeliftmustexistmaybelargerthanindicatedhereandthetransitionbetweenthelift
distributionsofupanddownstrokemustbesmooth.Inthemovierecordingofaflyingswanforexample,
youseethattheincreaseanddecreaseoftheangleofincidencemoveslikeawavefromthewingrootto
wingtip.
Inordertogeneratelargethrustatanornithopter,thecrosssectionoftheslipstreamistomakeaslarge
aspossible.Shiftingofthespanwisedistributionofliftisadominantfactorhere.Atdownstrokethelift
shouldbeshiftedasfaraspossibletowardstothewingtipandatupstroketowardstothewingroot.
Furthermorethestrokeangleofthewingshouldbechosenrelativelylargewithout,however,losingsight
oftherebydecreasinglift.
Incaseofverygreatdemandofthrust,theshiftingofthespanwisedistributionofliftinupstrokecanbe
supportedbyastrongdownwardbendingand/orbackwardbendingofthehandwing.Atthesametime
birdsareusingtheshorteningofthearmwing.Formoreinformation,pleaseseethearticle
Arrangementsofwingtipvorticesonflappingwings(version4.0,PDF0.5MB).

5.Formationflightofbirds
Vshapedstaggeredflightformationsresultinameasurableenergy
conservationforeachsingleindividual.Thisisparticularlytheresultof
aerodynamicinfluences.Withtheaidoftheornithoptertheory
conclusionscanbedrawnaboutthemodeoffunctioningconcerningthe
energysavings.
Inconnectionwithitslifttheleadingbirdnecessarilygeneratesawing
tipvortexatbothwingtips.Foritthisimpliesalossofenergy.Itis
relativelybigforbirdswithhighwingloadingsandshort,taperedwing Downwashdistributions
shapes.Butthefollowingbirdcantrytotaptheenergycontentofoneof onthewingofanornithopter
bothwingtipvorticestomakeitsownflightworkeasier. incruisingflight

Wellknownisthehypothesis(Pleaselookatexternallink5)thatthe
followingbirdusesafieldofupliftofitsleadingbird.Itisgenerated
bythetipvortexspreadingbackwardsattheouteredgeoftheflight
formation.Thisupwindenablesthefollowingbirdtoincreaseitsown
thrustwithoutperformingadditionalflightenergy.Butitismore
effectivetousetheangularmomentumoftheincomingvortexto
reducethewingtipvortexofitsownwing(adjacentpictureandexternal
link6).
Theproblemforthefollowingbirdis
Dragreductionatthe
theoptimaladjustmentofalldistances formationflightofbirds
inthethreedimensionalspacebehind
theleadingbird.Itmusttrytoadjust
thedistancestotheflappingwingsofitsleadingbirdinawaythatthe
properpartoftheleadingbird'svortexpassesitinasuitablemoment
andattheoptimalposition.Itcansurelyfeelthebestflightposition,but
therebyitmustalsomakecompromises.Anyway,inthetheoryof
formationflightofbirdsmanyquestionsremainopen.Formore
Flockofbirdsinflight information,pleaseseethehandbook,annexeE,(lockabove)andthe
PhotograferTitusTscharntke/ articleArrangementsofwingtipvorticesonflappingwings(version
www.publicdomainimage.com/
4.0,PDF0.5MB).

6.Externallinks
tothetheoryofflappingwings

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1.MatthiasNeef,abstract(inEnglish)anddownloadofhisdissertation(2002),
AnalysedesSchlagflugesdurchnumerischeStrmungsberechnung
(Eulersolutionsforafinitespanflappingwing)
http://www.biblio.tubs.de/ediss/data/20021021a/20021021a.html
Summaryofhisdissertation(inGerman)
https://www.tubraunschweig.de/ism/forschung/agflzg/projektealt/schlagflug
2.TatjanaHubel,UntersuchungenzurinstationrenAerodynamik
aneinemvogelhnlichenFlgelschlagmodell(2006)
http://tuprints.ulb.tudarmstadt.de/800/
3.TysonL.Hedrick,BretW.TobalskeandAndrewA.Biewener,
Estimatesofcirculationandgaitchangebasedonathreedimensionalkinematicanalysisof
flightincockatiels(Nymphicushollandicus)andringedturtledoves(Streptopeliarisoria)
PleaselookatFig.1.AContinuousvortexgait
http://jeb.biologists.org/content/205/10/1389.full
4.Prof.Dr.Ing.IngoRechenbergprovidesmaterialforhisbioniclectures,
forexamplePowerPointScript4:
VomVogelflgelzurWindturbineBERWIAN,VerstehenundKopiereneinesbiologischen
Prinzips(forpropellertipvortices,pleaselookatslide23)
http://www.bionik.tuberlin.de/institut/skript/Fo10B1.htm
5.MalteAnderssonandJohanWallander,
Kinselectionandreciprocityinflightformation?
http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/1/158.full
6.NASADrydenFlightResearchCenter,
AutonomousFormationFlight(2001):
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/AFF/index.html

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