Lift generation by a two-dimensional symmetric flapping wing: immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann simulations

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) symmetric flapping flight is investigated by an immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM). In this method, we can treat the moving boundary problem efficiently on the Cartesian grid. We consider a model consisting of 2D symmetric flapping wings without mass connected by a hinge with mass. Firstly, we investigate the effect of the Reynolds number in the range of 40–200 on flows around symmetric flapping wings under no gravity field and find that for high Reynolds numbers (Re ⩾ 55), asymmetric vortices with respect to the horizontal line appear and the time-averaged lift force is induced on the wings, whereas for low Reynolds numbers (Re ⩽ 50), only symmetric vortices appear around the wings and no lift force is induced. Secondly, the effect of the initial position of the wings is investigated, and the range of the initial phases where the upward flight is possible is found. The effects of the mass and flapping amplitude are also studied. Finally, we carry out free flight simulations under gravity field for various Reynolds numbers in the range 60 ⩽ Re ⩽ 300 and Froude numbers in the range 3 ⩽ Fr ⩽ 60 and identify the region where upward flight is possible.