Study on high aerodynamic performance airfoil for a flapping wing

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24760665
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Aerospace engineering
• Research Institution: Kyushu University (2013-2014); Nippon Bunri University (2012)
• Principal Investigator: NAGAI Hiroto 九州大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (50510674)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 羽ばたき翼 / MAV / モーフィング / 低レイノルズ数 / 非定常流れ / コルゲート翼 / 生体・生物工学 / 昆虫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have investigated an optimal airfoil of a flapping wing for a micro air vehicle. We have clarified that the airfoils of insects do not exceed the flat plate airfoil in time-averaged aerodynamic characteristics for a flapping cycle, if the airfoil is rigid. We have proposed the morphing flapping wing with a hinge connecting fore- and hindwings, which can obtain an appropriate camber in both the up- and downstrokes by actively controlling the hinge angle. When an optimal hinge rotation is done, the time-averaged lift of the morphing wing is 22.8% larger than the conventional rigid flat plate with the same required aerodynamic power. The morphing flapping wing we have proposed is powerful technology to enhance the performance of a flapping type micro air vehicle.

Free Research Field

航空宇宙工学