Membrane Wing Model for Micro Air Vehicles

A model for the interaction between a membrane wing and its surroundings for application in micro air vehicles was presented. The effect of dynamic shape change of the membrane wing on the aerodynamic characteristics was summarized. The fluid and structural solvers were synchronized through a subiteration process. Green-Lagrange strain tensor was used for the description of large strains

Effect of tip vortex on wing aerodynamics of micro air vehicles

Tip vortex induces downwash movement, which reduces the effective angle of attack of a wing. For a low-aspect-ratio, low-Reynolds-number wing, such as that employed by the micro air vehicle (MAV), the induced drag by the tip vortex substantially affects its aerodynamic performance. In this paper we use the endplate concept to help probe the tip-vortex effects on the MAV aerodynamic characteristics. The investigation is facilitated by solving the Navier-Stokes equations around a rigid wing with a root-chord Reynolds number of 9 × 10 4. It is confirmed that with modest angles of attack the endplate can improve the lift-to-drag ratio by reducing the drag. However, as the angle of attack becomes substantial, the wing tip vortex is stronger and the endplate loses its effectiveness. Detailed fluid flow structures are presented to offer insight into the physics responsible for the observed phenomena

Utility of a Sensor Platform Capable of Aerial and Terrestrial Locomotion

2005 IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), August 200