EAPSI:Aerodynamics and Stability of Hawk Inspired Ornithopter Utilizing a Multi- Degree of Freedom Wing

Matta Alexander, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

In recent years the field of flapping flight has grown dramatically as flapping allows an aircraft or animal to achieve flight at low air speeds. The efficiency of flapping mechanisms at these low airspeeds makes them well suited for incorporation into the design of drones, more specifically micro air vehicles. This project aims to study the aerodynamics and stability of a hawk inspired aircraft to see how changes in wing motion effects performance of the aircraft. This research will be conducted at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea in collaboration with Dr. Jae-Hung Han, an expert in the field of biologically inspired flight. Larger birds such as eagles, hawks, and gulls are known for their low energy consumption during cruising flight. These birds are believed to use four degrees of freedom (DOFs) per wing, more than smaller, less energy efficient birds, and thus this project?s focus is on quantifying how change in design complexity, determined by the number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) in the wing, effects flight performance of an ornithopter. Flight performance in this scenario is dependent on magnitude of body forces (lift and drag), energy consumption, and stability of the ornithopter. This investigation aims to assess these three areas on an experimental ornithopter with a total of four DOFs per wing in which between one and three of the DOFs can be removed through locking mechanisms. Body forces as well as energy consumption will be measured during wind tunnel tests. Stability will be examined in a special facility at KAIST called KARPE, an indoor positioning facility with motion capture system. Ultimately the results of this study can be used to validate analytical models and computational studies that try to isolate the contribution of each DOF. This award is funded in collaboration with the National Research Foundation of Korea.