Dynamic CFD/CSD Coupling Research for Flexible Micro Aircraft

Abstract

Bio-inspired flapping wing aircraft have made progress in recent years. Flying birds can fly in various low Reynolds numbers (103-105) with high flight stability and maneuvering ability by use of the flexible deformation of skeletal muscle structures or thin-film structure wings. Early studies mainly focused on the aerodynamics and kinematics of the flapping wings, with relatively little research on the flexible structure, and the aerodynamic structure coupling characteristics of micro flappings are still unclear. At present, the focus of research is to evaluate the impact of structural deformation on the aerodynamic characteristics of flexible micro-flapping wing. A CFD/CSD coupling solver are developed and several technical challenges related to the CFD/CSD interface are resolved in this study (CFD/CSD data exchange method and moving mesh generation). The aerodynamic characteristics of five flexible wings with different structural parameters are calculated and compared. The results show that structural parameters play an important role in aerodynamic performance, which also indicates that the potential aerodynamic performance can be improved by the optimal structural design.