Optimal Settings of Aerodynamic Performance Parameters in Hovering Flight

Abstract

Flapping foils are being considered for lift generation and/or propulsion in design of Micro-Air Vehicles (MAVs). In this paper, a computational analysis of the aerodynamic performance of a 2D rigid flapping wing is conducted for examining the effect of basic morphological and kinematics parameters on unsteady flow field properties, wing loading, and lift efficiency. It focuses primarily on steady hovering flight with different kinds of wing trajectories. Key aerodynamic performance parameters are selected and evaluated to reflect three potential design modes of MAV flight, performance (or high-lift) mode, cruise (or high-efficiency) mode, and a “quiet” mode which reflects the overall steadiness of a particular set of wing kinematics. A fractional factorial design method is used to conduct the sensitivity study of performance parameters. Results aim to provide insight into the selection of wing planform and flapping kinematics for MAV designs.