A non-linear aeroelastic model for the study of flapping-wing flight

grantor: University of TorontoA non-linear aeroelastic model for the study of flapping-wing flight is presented. This model has been developed to simulate the fully stalled and attached aerodynamic behaviour of a flapping wing and can account for any forcing function. An implicit unconditionally-stable time-marching method known as the Newmark method is used to accurately model the non-linear stalled and attached flow regimes. An iteration procedure is performed at each time step to eliminate any errors associated with the temporal discretization process. A finite element formulation is used to model the elastic behaviour of the wing which is composed of a leading edge composite spar and light-weight rigid ribs covered with fabric. A viscous damping model is used to simulate the structural damping of the wing. The Newmark code generates instantaneous lift and thrust values as well as torsional and bending moments along the wing span. Average lift values are in good agreement with experimental results obtained from tests performed on a scaled down model of the ornithopter at the NRC wind tunnel in Ottawa. Furthermore, bending and twisting moments obtained from strain gages embedded in the full-scale ornithopter's wing spar show that the predicted instantaneous moments are also quite accurate. Also, comparisons with experimental data show that the Newmark code can accurately predict the twisting behaviour of the wing for zero forward speed as well as cruise conditions.Ph.D