Design of a Flapping Wing for Application in a Micro Air Vehicle

Abstract

The goal of this study is to understand the processes and wing characteristics that influence lift generation of a flapping wing, and apply the acquired knowledge in an optimization setting to obtain an optimal wing thickness distribution which maximizes effective wing lift. To achieve this, an extensive literature survey was conducted to identify geometrical characteristics of the wing that are known to help maximize wing lift, and loading conditions under which a given wing design must be numerically studied. Additionally, a cubic pressure load distribution was developed to approximately mimic the aerodynamic pressure acting on the surface of the wing. Changes were made to the research code, Charles, to achieve some of the desired features. Using some of the identified parameters and load cases, an optimization problem was formulated and thickness distributions were obtained for two wing planform shapes. The results were compared and discussed, and general patterns were identified which give insight on flapping wing design.