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Quasi-Steady Modeling of an Insect-Like

Flapping Wing
Brett G. Compton
bgcomp2@uky.edu

J. M. McDonough
jmmcd@uky.edu

Department of Mechanical Engineering


University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
Supported by the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium
APS, Division of Fluid Dynamics 58th Meeting
November 20, 2005, Chicago

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Previous Work

Munk (NACA Report, 1925)


Weis-Fogh (J. Exp. Biol., 1973)
Maxworthy (J. Fluid Mech., 1979)
Ellington (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond, 1984)
Dickinson (J. Exp. Biol., 1994)
Wang (J. Exp. Biol. 2003)
Sane (J. Exp. Biol., 2003)
Miller and Peskin (J. Exp. Biol., 2004)
Many others

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Physical Problem and Purpose

Insect flight is both a biological wonder


and an aerodynamic enigma.
The forces acting on flapping wings are
highly unsteady, leading to higher lift
forces from novel lift-generating
phenomena.
We want to replicate and explore these
curious aerodynamic phenomena.
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Our Approach

We use a quasi-unsteady
approach. Transient
calculations are made at
various virtual wing
orientations throughout the
half-stroke.
The wing remains fixed and input
conditions are changed to account
for wing rotation.
A linear velocity profile along the
span is employed to mimic
flapping about the base of the
wing.
The time steps are chosen such
that between each virtual wing
orientation realistic physical time
passes. No steady-state
calculations are made.

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Our Approach (cont.)


Step 1

Step 2

Or

Step 1

Step 2
U

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Our Approach (cont.)

Advantages
Simplicity
Accessible Software
Transient Calculations
at Variable Flight
Regimes
Laminar/Turbulence
Comparison

Disadvantages
Limiting Grid Setup
Not Quite Realistic
Rotational Acceleration
not accounted for
Ground Effects
Inherent in Model
Virtual Mass not
accounted for

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Our Approach (cont.)


Domain seen from the leading
edge

Looking down the span of the wing

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Problem Setup

Approximate Bumblebee
Kinematics (Dudley and
Ellington, J. Exp. Biol. 1990a,b)
R = 1.4 cm
c = 0.4 cm
wing thickness = 0.01 cm
AR = 7
n = 150 Hz
= 2 rad (115)
m = 35
Ut = 2nR = 8.4 m/s
Re = cUt/ = 2333

Grid
Cubic domain 7.5 chord
lengths per side
~350,000 grid points
Wing placed 17 grid points
and chord lengths from
velocity inlet

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Results Spiral LEV


Views in each
coordinate direction plus
Pictorial with vortex core.
Physical step 10 of 24.

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Results Force Coefficients


Average Forces and
Coefficients:

Force Coefficient Time Series


cd-laminar

cd-LES

cl-laminar

cl-LES

force coefficient

0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

fraction of half-stroke

0.7

0.8

0.9

Cl,avg,lam: 0.593
Cl,avg,LES: 0.618
Fl,avg,lam: 0.00296 N
Fl,avg,LES: 0.00309 N
Cd,avg,lam: 0.492
Cd,avg,LES: 0.495
Fd,avg,lam: 0.00246 N
Fd,avg,LES: 0.00248 N
Average Bee weight:
0.001717 N

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Results Quasi-Steady?
In our model the
Lift and Drag
forces do not
stabilize quickly
enough for the
quasi-steady
model to be
accurate.

Extended Calculations for Coefficient of Lift at Various


Wing Orientations

force coefficients

= 44.27

= 39.19

= 35.82

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

fraction of half-stroke

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Conclusions
The spiral leading edge vortex was successfully
replicated with this highly simplified model and the
force coefficient time series roughly resemble
results from previous experiments, however
A better model is needed. The next step is to use a
research code that will allow more flexibility in the
problem setup, as well as allow imbedded boundary
treatment on the wing.

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