模型昆虫翼作非定常i运动时的气动力特性

基于Navier-Stokes方程的数值解,研究了一模型昆虫翼在小雷诺数(Re=100)下作非定常运动时的气动力特性.这些运动包括翼启动后的常速转动,快速加、减速转动,常速转动中快速上仰(模拟昆虫翼的上挥或下拍、翻转等运动).有如下结果在小雷诺数下,模型昆虫翼以大攻角(α=35°)作常速转动运动时,由于失速涡不脱落,可产生较大的升力系数.其机理是翼转动时,翼尖附近(该处线速度大)上翼面压强比翼根附近(该处线速度小)的小得多,因而存在展向压强梯度,同时存在着沿展向的离心力,此展向压强梯度和离心力导致的展向流动在失速涡的轴向方向,其可避免失速涡脱落.模型昆虫翼在快速加、减速转动和快速上仰运动中,虽然雷诺数小,但由于在短时间内产生了大涡量,也可产生十分大的气动力,例如在快速上仰运动中,升力系数可大于10.     

昆虫飞行的高升力机理

对近年来关于昆虫产生非定常高升力的研究进行了综述和归纳.这方面的工作对生物学研究和微型飞行器等微型机械的仿生设计有重要意义.研究表明:果蝇等昆虫翅膀的拍动运动可产生很大的非定常升力,其平均值是定常值的2~3倍,足够平衡昆虫的重量,并有较大的富余用于机动飞行;产生高升力有三个因素:一是拍动开始阶段翅的快速加速运动,二是拍动中的不失速机制,三是拍动结束阶段翅的快速上仰运动.人们从能耗的角度考察了这些非定常高升力机制的正确性和可行性.当作悬停飞行的果蝇用以上机制产生平衡其重量的升力时,其比功率(支持单位身体质量所需的功率)约为29W/kg, 生化/机械效率约为17%. 这些值与人们基于对昆虫肌肉力学特性的研究所预估的值接近.果蝇前飞时,其比功率随速度变化的曲线是一J形曲线,而不是象飞机或鸟的那样是一U形曲线;这与人们基于昆虫新陈代谢率的测量数据所推断的结果一致.对于蜻蜒等(功能上)有前、后两对翅膀的昆虫,有以下初步结果:翅的下拍主要产生升力,上挥主要产生推力;下拍时的平均升力系数可达2~3,十分大,上挥时的平均推力系数可达1~2, 也很大,它们主要由非定常效应产生;前、后翅的相互干扰并未起增大升力和推力的作用,反而有一定的不利作用.      

模型昆虫翼作非定常运动时的气动力特性

基于Ｎａｖｉｅｒ－Ｓｔｏｋｅｓ方程的数值解,研究了一模型昆虫翼在小雷诺数（Ｒｅ＝１００）下作非定常运动时的气动力特性,这些运动包括：翼启动后的常速转动,快速加、减速转动,常速转动中快速上仰（模拟昆虫翼的上挥或下拍、翻转等运动）有如下结果：在小雷诺数下,模型昆虫翼以大攻角（α＝３５°）作常速转动运动时,由于失速涡不脱落,可产生较大的升为系数。其机理是：翼转动时,翼尖附近（该处线速度大）上翼面压强比翼根附近（该处线速度小）的小得多,因而存在展向压强梯度,同时存在着沿展向的离心力,此展向压强梯度和离心力导致的展向流动在失速涡的轴向方向,其可避免失速涡脱落。模型昆虫翼在快速加、减速转动和快速上仰运动中,虽然雷诺数小,但由于在短时间内产生了大涡量,也可产生十分大的气动力,例如在快速上仰运动中,升力系数可大于１０。     

基于三路舵机驱动的扑翼飞行模型气动特性研究

扑动而形成非定常气动现象是扑翼飞行过程中产生高升力的主要原因。本文以Ellington实验的鹰蛾翅膀为原形,设计扑翼实验及数值计算模型。通过压差传感器对翅膀模型上翼面固定位置进行测压,分析前缘涡的产生及脱落情况(考虑动压效应)。测量上下翼面固定位置处的压差,揭示扑翼飞行中产生高升力的主要原因。利用烟风洞观察扑翼模型周围流场结构及特殊涡产生变化情况。另外,根据Ellington提供的升力关系式估算了扑翼模型在一个周期内的平均升力。最后,基于三维欧拉方程对扑翼飞行气动特性进行数值模拟,计算结果与实验吻合良好。     

等速上仰翼型分离流动结构的研究

本文通过在翼型上游和翼表面边界层内放置产生氢气泡的铂丝的方法,清楚地显示了上仰翼型分离剪切层的结构。揭示了在不同的翼型转动角速度范围内,存在三种分离流结构。研究了失速涡,剪切涡及起动涡随时间的演变,它们之间的相互作用和转动角速度等参数的影响,分离剪切层的流动显示结果,结合翼型上气动力与流场中涡量矩的关系的理论,定性地解释了上仰翼型产生非定常高升力的原因。     

基于雨燕翅膀的仿生三角翼气动特性计算研究

针对低雷诺数微型飞行器的气动布局, 设计出类似雨燕翅膀的一组具有不同前缘钝度的中等后掠($\varLambda =50^{\circ}$)仿生三角翼. 为了定量对比研究三角翼后缘收缩产生的气动效应, 设计了一组具有同等后掠的普通三角翼. 为了深入研究仿生三角翼布局的前缘涡演化特性以及总体气动特性, 采用数值模拟方法详细地探索了低雷诺数($Re=1.58\times 10^{4})$流动条件下前缘涡涡流结构和气动力随迎角的变化规律. 分析结果表明, 前缘钝度和后缘收缩对仿生三角翼前缘涡的涡流强度和涡破裂位置有显著影响. 相对于钝前缘来说, 尖前缘使仿生三角翼上下表面的压力差增大, 涡流强度也更大, 增升作用也更显著. 相对于普通三角翼构型, 仿生三角翼的前缘斜切使其阻力更大, 但后缘的收缩使涡破裂位置固定在此位置, 因此整个上翼面保持低压, 总的升力更大. 由于小迎角时升力增大更明显, 因此仿生三角翼的气动效率在小迎角时明显大于普通三角翼. 这些结论对于揭示鸟类的飞行机理以及未来微型仿生飞行器的气动布局设计具有重要的研究价值.      

昆虫飞行的空气动力学

昆虫是最早出现、数量最多和体积最小的飞行者. 它们能悬停、跃升、急停、快速加速和转弯, 飞行技巧十分高超. 由于尺寸小, 因而翅膀的相对速度很小, 从而进行上述飞行所需的升力系数很大. 但昆虫翅膀的雷诺数又很低. 它们是如何在低雷诺数下产生高升力的, 是流体力学和生物学工作者都十分关心的问题. 近年来这一领域有了许多研究进展. 该文对这些进展进行综述, 并对今后工作提一些建议. 因2005 年前的工作已在几篇综述文章有了详细介绍, 该文主要介绍2005 年以来的工作. 首先简述昆虫翅的拍动运动及昆虫绕流的基本方程和相似参数; 然后对2005 年之前的工作做一简要回顾. 之后介绍2005 年后的进展, 依次为: 运动学观测; 前缘涡; 翅膀柔性变形及皱褶的影响; 拍动翅的尾涡结构; 翼/身、左右翅气动干扰及地面效应; 微小昆虫; 蝴蝶与蜻蜓; 机动飞行. 最后为对今后工作的建议.      

柔性非定常细长升力面理论及涡面作用

本文讨论柔性非定常升力面的细长体理论。对于前缘问题,后缘问题和升力面外存在有旋涡的第二前缘问题的的流动作了分别的讨论,得出了统一的理论和流动的解。在后缘问题中联立求解了Kutta条件涡面积分方程和涡量守恒微分方程,得到了各个不同位置不同时问的旋涡分布,γ(y,x,t),因而比较清楚地阐明了后缘旋涡脱落和运动的机理以及非定常涡面的发展过程。对于第二前缘问题,考虑了涡面离开流动对称面的位移影响,并由此克服了涡面和物面重叠带来的困难。分析表明,当重叠部分的涡面无限接近物体(升力面)表面时,涡面的作用趋于消失。此外,在分析旋涡作用时发现,截面上涡面的流体动力效果可以由一个单一参数(记为W)来表示。W是有速度的量纲,物理上它是在物面上旋涡诱导速度的加权平均值。     

微型飞行器低雷诺数空气动力学

微型飞行器(MAVs)设计绝不是常规飞行器在尺度上的简单缩小,面临许多技术难题.其中微型飞行器低雷诺数空气动力学是其最为根本的技术瓶颈之一,也是当前受到广泛关注的热点之一.本文紧密结合微型飞行器技术,对这一领域中所面临的低雷诺数空气动力学问题和近两年来该方向国内一些新的进展进行了较为详细的介绍.按照MAVs飞行方式和结构特性进行分类,简单介绍微型飞行器研究中的低$Re$数空气动力学问题.首先介绍了二维和三维固定翼低雷诺数空气动力学问题:包括层流分离泡,翼型升力系数小攻角非线性效应,静态迟滞效应,以及低$Re$数小展弦比机翼气动特性.第2,介绍了拍动翼低雷诺数空气动力学方面的研究工作.包括前人提出的昆虫低$Re$数下获得高升力的多种非定常拍动翼飞行机制:Wagner效应、Weis-Fogh效应(clap-and-fling)、延迟失速效应(delayedstall)、Kramer效应(rotational forces)、尾迹捕获效应(wakecapture)、附加质量效应(addedmass)等.以及国内学者近几年在拍动翼方面取得的一些研究成果.第3,介绍了柔性翼低雷诺数气动问题.研究表明柔性翼对于固定翼微型飞行器提高抗阵风能力,拍动翼微型飞行器产生足够的升力和推力.最后简单介绍了可变形翼(morphingwing)微型飞行器方面的一些研究工作,指出微型飞行器技术可以通过采用可变形翼设计,突破众多的技术瓶颈.另一方面,可变形翼概念可以通过在低成本,低速的MAVs上进行飞行试验,获得非常好的验证平台.      

偏转矢量喷流对双三角翼前缘涡破裂影响的实验研究

本文应用染色液流动显示技术对后缘偏转喷流情况下76°/40°双三角翼前缘涡破裂位置的变化进行了观测,实验结果表明偏转喷流主要推迟与喷流方向相同一侧前缘涡的破裂,而使另一侧前缘涡破裂略有提前.随着喷流偏转角度的增大,喷流使两前缘涡破裂位置差逐渐增大.另外,随着模型攻角的增大,前缘涡涡核与双三角翼翼面的夹角逐渐增大,导致偏转喷流的作用逐渐减弱.     

Aerodynamic mechanism of forces generated by twisting model-wing in bat flapping flight

The aerodynamic mechanism of the bat wing membrane Mong the lateral border of its body is studied. The twist-morphing that alters the angle of attack （AOA） along the span-wise direction is observed widely during bat flapping flight. An assumption is made that the linearly distributed AOA is along the span-wise direction. The plate with the aspect ratio of 3 is used to model a bat wing. A three-dimensional （3D） unsteady panel method is used to predict the aerodynamic forces generated by the flapping plate with leading edge separation. It is found that, relative to the rigid wing flapping, twisting motion can increase the averaged lift by as much as 25% and produce thrust instead of drag. Furthermore, the aerodynamic forces （lift/drag） generated by a twisting plate-wing are similar to those of a pitching rigid-wing, meaning that the twisting in bat flight has the same function as the supination/pronation motion in insect flight.     

Effects of unsteady deformation of flapping wing on its aerodynamic forces

Effects of unsteady deformation of a flapping model insect wing on its aerodynamic force production are studied by solving the Navier-Stokes equations on a dynamically deforming grid.Aerodynamic forces on the flapping wing are not much affected by considerable twist,but affected by camber deformation.The effect of combined camber and twist deformation is similar to that of camber deformation.With a deformation of 6% camber and 20°twist(typical values observed for wings of many insects),lift is increased bv 10%～20%and lift-to-drag ratio by around 10%compared with the case of a rigid flat-plate wing.As a result.the deformation can increase the maximum lift coefficient of an insect.and reduce its power requirement for flight.For example,for a hovering bumblebee with dynamically deforming wings(6?mber and 20°twist),aerodynamic power required is reduced by about 16%compared with the case of rigid wings.     

Reynolds number effects on leading edge vortex development on a waving wing

The waving wing experiment is a fully three-dimensional simplification of the flapping wing motion observed in nature. The spanwise velocity gradient and wing starting and stopping acceleration that exist on an insect-like flapping wing are generated by rotational motion of a finite span wing. The flow development around a waving wing at Reynolds number between 10,000 and 60,000 has been studied using flow visualization and high-speed PIV to capture the unsteady velocity field. Lift and drag forces have been measured over a range of angles of attack, and the lift curve shape was similar in all cases. A transient high-lift peak approximately 1.5 times the quasi-steady value occurred in the first chord length of travel, caused by the formation of a strong attached leading edge vortex. This vortex appears to develop and shed more quickly at lower Reynolds numbers. The circulation of the leading edge vortex has been measured and agrees well with force data.     

An analytic approach to theoretical modeling of highly unsteady viscous flow excited by wing flapping in small insects

Numerous studies on the aerodynamics of insect wing flapping were carried out on different approaches of flight investigations, model experiments, and numerical simulations, but the theoretical modeling remains to be explored. In the present paper, an analytic approach is presented to model the flow interactions of wing flapping in air for small insects with the surrounding flow fields being highly unsteady and highly viscous. The model of wing flapping is a 2-D flat plate, which makes plunging and pitching oscillations as well as quick rotations reversing its positions of leading and trailing edges, respectively, during stroke reversals. It contains three simplified aerodynamic assumptions: (i) unsteady potential flow; (ii) discrete vortices shed from both leading and trailing edges of the wing; (iii) Kutta conditions applied at both edges. Then the problem is reduced to the solution of the unsteady Laplace equation, by using distributed singularities, i.e., sources/sinks, and vortices in the field. To validate the present physical model and analytic method proposed via benchmark examples, two elemental motions in wing flapping and a case of whole flapping cycles are analyzed, and the predicted results agree well with available experimental and numerical data. This verifies that the present analytical approach may give qualitatively correct and quantitatively reasonable results. Furthermore, the total fluid-dynamic force in the present method can be decomposed into three parts: one due to the added inertial (or mass) effect, the other and the third due to the induction of vortices shed from the leading-and the trailing-edge and their images respectively, and this helps to reveal the flow control mechanisms in insect wing flapping. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10072066) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJCX-SW-LO4, KJCX2-SW-L2)     

A flow control mechanism in wing flapping with stroke asymmetry during insect forward flight

A theoretical modeling approach as well as an unsteady analytical method is used to study aerodynamic characteristics of wing flapping with asymmetric stroke-cycles in connection with an oblique stroke plane during insect forward flight. It is revealed that the aerodynamic asymmetry between the downstroke and the upstroke due to stroke-asymmetrical flapping is a key to understand the flow physics of generation and modulation of the lift and the thrust. Predicted results for examples of given kinematics validate more specifically some viewpoints that the wing lift is more easily produced when the forward speed is higher and the thrust is harder, and the lift and the thrust are generated mainly during downstroke and upstroke, respectively. The effects of three controlling parameters, i.e. the angles of tilted stroke plane, the different downstroke duration ratios, and the different angles of attack in both down- and up-stroke, are further discussed. It is found that larger oblique angles of stroke planes generate larger thrust but smaller lift; larger downstroke duration ratios lead to larger thrust, while making little change in lift and input aerodynamic power; and again, a small increase of the angle of attack in downstroke or upstroke may cause remarkable changes in aerodynamic performance in the relevant stroke.The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10072066, 90305009) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJCX-SW-L04, KJCX2-SW-L2)The English text was polished by Ron Marshall.     

The influence of the wake of a flapping wing on the production of aerodynamic forces

The effect of the wake of previous strokes on the aerodynamic forces of a flapping model insect wing is studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The wake effect is isolated by comparing the forces and flows of the starting stroke (when the wake has not developed) with those of a later stroke (when the wake has developed). The following has been shown. (1) The wake effect may increase or decrease the lift and drag at the beginning of a half-stroke (downstroke or upstroke), depending on the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the half-stroke, the wing ``impinges' on the spanwise vorticity generated by the wing during stroke reversal and the distribution of the vorticity is sensitive to the wing kinematics at stroke reversal. (2) The wake effect decreases the lift and increases the drag in the rest part of the half-stroke. This is because the wing moves in a downwash field induced by previous half-stroke's starting vortex, tip vortices and attached leading edge vortex (these vortices form a downwash producing vortex ring). (3) The wake effect decreases the mean lift by 6%–18% (depending on wing kinematics at stroke reversal) and slightly increases the mean drag. Therefore, it is detrimental to the aerodynamic performance of the flapping wing. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10232010) and the National Aeronautic Science Fund of China(03A51049) The English text was polished by Xing Zhang     

Flow visualization and wall shear stress of a flapping model hummingbird wing

The unsteady low Reynolds number aerodynamics of flapping flight was investigated experimentally through flow visualization by suspended particle imagery and wall shear stress measurement from micro-array hot-film anemometry. In conjunction, a mechanism was developed to create a flapping motion with three degrees of freedom and adjustable flapping frequency. The flapping kinematics and wing shape were selected for dynamic similarity to a hummingbird during hovering flight. Flow visualization was used to validate the anemometry observations of leading edge vortex (LEV) characteristics and to investigate the necessity of spanwise flow in LEV stability. The shear sensors determined LEV characteristics throughout the translation section of the stroke period for various wing speeds. It was observed that a minimum frequency between 2 and 3.5 Hz is required for the formation and stabilization of a LEV. The vortex strength peaked around 30% of the flapping cycle (corresponding to just past the translation midpoint), which agrees with results from previous studies conducted by others. The shear sensors also indicated a mild growth in LEV size during translation sections of the wing’s motion. This growth magnitude was nearly constant through a range of operating frequencies.     

Numerical simulation of a flapping four-wing micro-aerial vehicle

A three-dimensional numerical simulation of a four-wing (two wings on each side, one on top of another) flapping micro-aerial vehicle (FMAV), known as the Delfly micro, is performed using an immersed boundary method Navier–Stokes finite volume solver at Reynolds numbers of 5500 (forward flight condition). The objective of the present investigation is to gain an insight to the aerodynamics of flapping wing biplane configuration, by making an analysis on a geometry that is simplified, yet captures the major aspects of the wing behavior. The fractional step method is used to solve the Navier–Stokes equations. Results show that in comparison to the Delfly II flapping kinematics (a similar FMAV configuration but smaller flapping stroke angles), the Delfly-Micro flapping kinematics provides more thrust while maintaining the same efficiency. The Delfly-Micro biplane configuration generates more lift than expected when the inclination angle increases, due to the formation of a uniform leading edge vortex. Estimates of the lift produced in the forward flight conditions confirm that in the current design, the MAV is able to sustain forward flight. The potential effect of wing flexibility on the aerodynamic performance in the biplane configuration context is investigated through prescribed flexibility in the simulations. Increasing the wing׳ spanwise flexibility increases thrust but increasing chordwise flexibility causes thrust to first increase and then decrease. Moreover, combining both spanwise and chordwise flexibility outperforms cases with only either spanwise or chordwise flexibility.