Experimental study of the flow field induced by a resonating piezoelectric flapping wing

Abstract

Flexible plate structures with integrated piezoelectric patches offer interesting possibilities when considered as actuation mechanisms for energy harvesting devices, cooling devices and propulsion devices of micro-aerial vehicles. Most of the studies reported in literature are based on the assumption of a 2D aerodynamic flow. However, the flow behind a finite span wing is significantly more complex than that of an infinite span wing. In order to corroborate this statement, the present experimental study contains high-speed particle image velocimetry measurements performed on a piezoelectric finite span wing oscillating in air, at 84.8 Hz. The paper focuses on the situation of low Keulegan–Carpenter numbers (KC < 3). The dimensionless KC number describes the relative importance of the drag forces over inertia forces for objects that oscillate in a fluid flow at rest. The evolution of the unsteady vortex structures near the plate is characterized for different conditions. This allows a better understanding of the unsteady aerodynamics of flapping flight. The accomplished experimental data analysis has shown that the flow phenomena are strongly dependent on the KC values.