FORCE MEASUREMENT AND FLOW FIELD CHARACTERIZATION FROM A FLAPPING WING MECHANISM by N.

Stephen Naegle

A prospectus submitted to the faculty of Department of Mechanical Engineering Brigham Young University

5 January 2012

PROSPECTUS APPROVAL

Prospectus submitted by:

________________________________ N. Stephen Naegle

________________________ Date

This prospectus has been approved by each member of the Graduate Committee:

________________________________ Scott L. Thomson

________________________ Date

________________________________ Mark B. Colton

________________________ Date

________________________________ Tadd T. Truscott

________________________ Date

Overview of Problem
Flapping flight presents many advantages over fixed-wing flight in the low Reynolds number flight regimes seen by micro air vehicles (MAVs). At this scale unsteady aerodynamic effects in flapping flight produce higher lift forces than are seen in traditional fixed wings and rotors1,2. This research will attempt to quantify and understand these unsteady lift-generating mechanisms in a robotic flapping wing mechanism by comparing direct force measurements with the forces predicted by particle image velocimetry (PIV). Some of the mechanisms to be studied include the leading-edge vortex (LEV), a flapping pattern known as clap-and-fling, and wing rotation. The research will also explore the effect of wing rigidity on the performance of a flapping wing.

Background and Motivation

Micro air vehicles (MAVs) vehicles with a maximum dimension of no more than 6 inches3 offer many advantages in surveillance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue. Along with reduced size is a change in the aerodynamic regime that is characterized by a relatively low Reynolds number. Low Reynolds number flight has some unfavorable characteristics, such as low lift-to-drag ratio, but the smaller size leads to favorable characteristics such as increased strength and reduced stall speed. Flapping flight has the potential to benefit MAV technology because it provides better aerodynamic performance than traditional fixed wings and rotors, such as the ability to produce high lift even at low Reynolds numbers, increased agility and maneuverability in tight spaces, and the ability to fly very slowly and hover. Insects and birds that use flapping wings to fly do so by taking advantage of unsteady effects to produce greater lift forces than steady, fixed-wing

flight. Three particular lift-generating mechanisms of flapping flight hold promise for MAV design. The first is a clap-and-fling mechanism at the top of the flapping stroke, in which the two wings clap together and fling apart, creating a strong low-pressure zone between the wings4. The second is the leading-edge vortex created by dynamic stall during flapping4,5. The third is wing rotation6. It has been suggested that wake visualization can be used to gain insight into the forces generated by flapping wings7. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments on live animals have been performed to predict the aerodynamic flapping forces generated by the animals8,9, but such experiments cannot validate the predicted forces because of the difficulty of directly measuring the forces in vivo. One group of researchers used PIV on a mechanical model and compared derived force predictions with direct measurements as a means to validate methods of predicting flight forces from wake structures7, but the mechanism used was unable to replicate many of the unsteady effects seen in small insects and birds. Similar experiments using a superior mechanism will show the effect that various lift-generating mechanisms have on flight performance. The vast diversity of flapping motions and wing sizes and shapes among different species of birds and insects shows that animals have adapted to their individual flight conditions and requirements. MAV flight should therefore look to nature for general principles of flapping flight, but will ultimately require adaptations that meet the specific requirements of mechanical flapping flight and address its weaknesses. The proposed research will help the MAV community to better understand the fluid dynamics specific to mechanical flapping flight.

Research Objectives
The purpose of this research is to study the lift generating mechanisms produced by a flapping wing mechanism. The aims of the research are: 1. Compare lift forces directly measured from the flapping mechanism to those derived from PIV measurements of the wake for the optimal and sub-optimal flapping motions. 2. Investigate the effects of wing rigidity and stiffness on the performance of a flapping wing.

Proposed Research
The flapping mechanism to be used has the ability to flap with three degrees of freedom on each wing. Wings can be interchanged to study how the wing shape and rigidity affect aerodynamic performance. The mechanism can directly measure the lift and drag forces produced by the wing, as well as record the position and angles of the wings during flapping. The mechanism functions in fluids such as water or oil; the experiments for this research will be carried out in a slow-moving water tunnel. In order to meet the first aim, an experiment will be performed to determine the optimal flapping pattern for a rigid wing. A rigid wing will be flapped in a slow-moving water tunnel and three variables will be measured: lift, thrust, and power. Efficiency will be defined using, for example, the power required to produce a given amount of lift. The flapping kinematics will be optimized (e.g., using a Box-Behnken design of experiments (DoE) approach10 to analyze real time force and power measurements). The design space will be modeled by a three-dimensional plot over lift, thrust, and efficiency, and an optimal flapping pattern will be selected from the Pareto front.

PIV data will be collected for the rigid wing kinematics to identify important flow structures in the wake (e.g., LEVs). Measurements will be taken in vertical planes parallel to the flow at several wingspan positions. Circulation, defined as the line integral around a closed curve of the fluid velocity, will be calculated from the PIV data. The Kutta-Joukowsky theorem11, which relates circulation to the total force produced by a body in a two-dimensional inviscid flow field, will be used to approximate the lift and thrust forces generated by the flapping wing. The Kutta-Joukowsky theorem is derived specifically for steady flows around airfoils, but has been used as a first approximation of the lift produced by flapping wings7,9. The KuttaJoukowsky lift approximation will be compared to the measured values of lift. Vorticity will be calculated from circulation using Stokes theorem and will be used to further characterize the wakes produced by various flapping motions. Finally, the wakes of the optimal and sub-optimal motions will be compared to further understand how lift is generated during flapping flight. The effects of wing rigidity and stiffness will be studied by repeating the first aim for two types of flexible wings: flexible and semi-flexible. The degree of flexibility will be determined by the material of the wing; all wings will have the same geometry. Optimization runs will be repeated for each of the two wing types. PIV data for the optimal flapping trajectories of each flexible wing type will be collected and analyzed. Lift, thrust, and power measurements for the flexible wings will be compared to the results for the rigid wing. A comparison of the flow structures created by the flexible wings will be compared to those created by rigid wings to determine how wing rigidity affects aerodynamic performance of a mechanical flapping wing.

Projected Timeline
The anticipated timeline is shown below:

1. Complete significant portion of literature review 2. Design and build water tunnel in which optimization and PIV experiments will be performed 3. Design and complete experiment to determine optimal flapping pattern for rigid wing 4. Collect and analyze PIV data for rigid wing 5. Write and submit paper on rigid wing results 6. Design and manufacture flexible wings 7. Perform optimization on flexible wings to determine new flapping pattern 8. Compile flexible wing results for paper submission 9. Collect and analyze PIV data for flexible wing 10. Write and submit paper on flexible wing results

May 2011 May 2011

June 2011

August 2011 August 2011 September 2011 September 2011

November 2011 December 2011 April 2012

Equipment and Facilities Required

The research will be undertaken in the water tunnel lab (CB 110) and the Fluid Dynamics Graduate Student Office (FB 220B). Required equipment includes the water tunnel to be built, the LaVision PIV system, and the flapping mechanism. It is anticipated that Dr. Scott L. Thomson, Dr. Christopher A. Mattson, Dr. Mark B. Colton, and Michael Wilcox will collaborate efforts on the experimental studies.

Anticipated Contributions
It is anticipated that the findings of this research will be submitted to the journal Experiments in Fluids, the 64th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Journal, and the 42nd AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit.

References
1

Ansari, S. A., Knowles, K., Zbikowski, R., Aerodynamic modeling of insect-like flapping flight for micro air vehicles. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 42, 2006, pp. 129-172. Thomson, S. L., Mattson, C. A., Colton, M. B., Harston, S. P., Clark, K, P., Carlson, D. C. Experiment-Based Optimization of Flapping Wing Kinematics. 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting. 5-8 Jan 2009. Shyy, W., Berg, M., Ljungqvist, D. Flapping and flexible wings for biological and micro air vehicles. Progress in Aerospace Sciences. Vol 35, 1999, pp 455-505 Ellington, C. P., The novel aerodynamics of insect flight: Applications to micro-air vehicles. Journal of Experimental Biology. Vol. 202, 1999, pp. 3439-3448. Ansari, S. A., Phillips, N., Stabler, G., Wilkins, P. C., Z bikowski, R., Knowles, K. Experimental investigation of some aspects of insect-like flapping flight aerodynamics for application to micro air vehicles. Journal of Experimental Fluids.Vol. 46, 2009, pp. 777-798. Dickinson, M. H.m Lehmann, F., Sane, S. P., Wing Rotation and the Aerodynamic Basis of Insect Flight. Science Magazine. Vol. 284, 1999, pp. 1954-1960. Hubel, T. Y., Tropea, C. Experimental investigation of a flapping wing model. Journal of Experimental Fluids. Vol. 46, 2009, pp.945-961. Henningson, P., Spedding, G. R., Hedenstrom, A., Vortex wake and flight kinematics of a swift in cruising flight in a wind tunnel. Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 211, 2008, pp. 717-730. Tian, S., Iriarte, J., Middleton, K., Galvao, R., Israeli, E., Roemer, A., Sullivan, A., Song, A., Swartz, S., Breuer, K., Direct Measurements of the Kinematics and Dynamics of Bat Flight. 36th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit. 5-8 June 2006. Box, G., Behnken, D., Some new three level designs for the study of quantitative variables. Technometrics. Vol 2. 1960, pp. 455-475 Anderson, J. D., Introduction to Flight, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1989

10

11