Wing Parameters Research Articles

High Duty Cycle Echolocation May Constrain the Evolution of Diversity within Horseshoe Bats (Family: Rhinolophidae)

The phenotype of organisms is the net result of various evolutionary forces acting upon their lineages over time. When an innovative trait arises that confers a substantial advantage in terms of survival and reproduction, the evolution of adaptive complexes between such an innovation and other traits may constrain diversification of that lineage. The specialized echolocation system of the Rhinolophidae may represent such an innovation which affects other parts of the phenotype. We investigated a potential constraint on the diversity of phenotypes of several species of horseshoe bats within a phylogenetic framework. If phenotypic convergence stems from stasis as a result of the specialized echolocation system, phenotypes should converge not only among members of the same species and between sexes but also among species. We analyzed the phenotypic diversity of >800 individuals of 13–16 species. The phenotypes in the horseshoe bats did indeed converge. There was no sexual size dimorphism in mass, forearm length and wingspan within species and there was marked interspecific similarity in both wing and echolocation variables but marked variability in body mass. Furthermore, correlations of wing and echolocation variables with mass suggest that variability within horseshoe bats was largely the result of selection on body size with allometric responses in wing and echolocation parameters, a potential consequence of constraints imposed by their specialized echolocation.

Morphometric diagnosis of the effects of water hardness on development of immature life stages and adult vectorial fitness of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito

In the present study, we elucidated the effects of different water hardness regimens on life stages of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito using the techniques of morphometry. Five water hardness regimens (0, 30, 90, 150 and 210 mg/L CaCO3) were prepared following standard protocols, and freshly hatched larvae reared in them until adulthood. Measurements were made for the lengths and widths of larval head capsule, thorax, abdomen, siphon, antennae, and anal papillae. Other parts measured include pupal trumpet, cephalothorax, and total immature body lengths, adult abdominal and wing parameters, volumes of fourth instar larvae and adult mosquitoes. Analyses revealed significant effects of water hardness on all body parts measured. The present study shows that water hardness levels significantly affect the morphometrics of Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquito, and could affect immature growth and development, and adult fitness attributes. It also reveals that moderately hard water are the best for overall fitness and performance of the species. The information generated from this study is important in understanding the interplay between water hardness and mosquito development.

Sensor-Driven Preliminary Wing Ground Plane Sizing Approach and Applications

Structurally integrated antenna arrays provide synergies allowing the integration of large apertures onto airborne platforms. However, the surrounding airframe can greatly impact the performance of the antenna array. This paper presents a sensor-driven preliminary wing ground plane sizing approach to provide insight into the implications of design decisions on payload performance. The improvement of a wing-integrated antenna array that utilizes the wing as a ground plane motivated this study. Relationships for wing span, wing chord, and thickness are derived from extensive parametric electromagnetic simulations based on optimum antenna performance. It is expected that these equations would be used after an initial wing-loading design point has been selected to provide the designer guidance into how various wing parameters might affect the integrated antenna performance.

Identification of the Basic Parameters of an Aircraft Wing

A method of identifying the basic parameters of airplane components is proposed on the basis of correlation and factorial analysis, with the subsequent derivation of polynomials by the least-squares method and by Brandon’s method. A multiparametric approach to design analysis and synthesis is formulated on the basis of a formalized process. This approach permits clear decisions for individual aircraft components at the preliminary design stage, as demonstrated here for the example of a wing.

Computational aerodynamic optimization of wing-design concept at supersonic conditions by means of the response surface method

In this paper, by means of computational fluid dynamics, a significant study has been made on the effects of geometric parameters of wing with capability of flying efficiently and cost-effectively at supersonic condition. Multi-objective optimization has been performed for the aerodynamic shape optimization of the wing configuration. The three-dimensional wing shape defined by four design variables is optimized. For achieving the most desirable aerodynamic efficiency (lift-to-drag ratio), Response Surface Method and Genetic Algorithm is utilized. To ensure the reliability of the solution and validating the numerical evaluation, flow around a delta wing is simulated and results are compared with credible numerical works. Furthermore, the particular design variables, which have serious effects on the objective functions, are found. Wing sweep angle along with aspect ratio has strong effects on the main outputs. Given that the current flow regime is supersonic, counteracting the negative effects of shock waves is one the most important design points. Among the studied parameters, leading edge sweep angle has the greatest impact on the main objectives of this research and it is the primary factor for delaying the formation of shock waves over the wing surface. Lift and drag coefficients, as primary objective functions, have higher sensitivity to changes in aspect ratio. By comparison to best geometry among initial cases, aerodynamic efficiency is increased by approximately 15% as a result of optimization study of this supersonic wing geometry.

Parametric optimization of high aspect ratio wing using surrogate model

Wing is an important component of airborne glide vehicle which provide the major portion of lift force to be generated and at the same time lift is to be produced with minimum drag. In this paper an optimum design is evolved to provide a high aerodynamically efficient wing in high subsonic regime and at the same time it is subjected to constraints like, it should provide the minimum lift (lateral acceleration as per the guidance demand) to perform flight manoeuvres. The main objective of the work is to maximize the Lift-to-Drag ratio of the wing at a design point subjected to minimum lift requirement. This aerodynamic efficiency (L/D) decides the range performance of a glide vehicle. Wing parameters like span, chord at root, taper ratio and sweep back angle are subjected to optimizer with limits to obtain the best design while the airfoil NACA651 - 412 is same for all the cases. This paper presents the study carried out using design of experiments, surrogate model, evolutionary optimization approach and gradient based optimization approach using MATLABTMsolver.

Design and flight performance of hybrid underwater glider with controllable wings

Hybrid underwater glider combines motion modes of traditional autonomous underwater glider and those of autonomous underwater vehicles. Different motion modes need different flight performance, including flight efficiency, static stability, and maneuverability. Conventional hybrid underwater glider with fixed wings can’t achieve optimal flight performance in one flight mission demanding various motion modes. In this article, controllable wings for hybrid underwater glider Petrel II are designed. Angle of attack, sweep angle, and aspect ratio of controllable wings can be changed to adapt to different motion modes. Kinematics and dynamics models of Petrel II are established based on multibody theory. Motion simulations of Petrel II with different wing configurations are conducted in three motion modes, including glide motion, spiral motion, and horizontal turning motion. The simulation results show the impact of wing parameters on flight performance. Field trials demonstrate that the controllable wings can improve the flight performance.

Instability analysis and drag coefficient prediction on a swept RAE2822 wing with constant lift coefficient

Swept wing is widely used in civil aircraft, whose airfoil is chosen, designed and optimized to increase the cruise speed and decrease the drag coefficient. The parameters of swept wing, such as sweep angle and angle of attack, are determined according to the cruise lift coefficient requirement, and the drag coefficient is expected to be predicted accurately, which involves the instability characteristics and transition position of the flow. The pressure coefficient of the RAE2822 wing with given constant lift coefficient is obtained by solving the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation numerically, and then the mean flow is calculated by solving the boundary layer (BL) equation with spectral method. The cross-flow instability characteristic of boundary layer of swept wing in the windward and leeward is analyzed by linear stability theory (LST), and the transition position is predicted by eN method. The drag coefficient is numerically predicted by introducing a laminar/turbulent indicator. A simple approach to calculate the lift coefficient of swept wing is proposed. It is found that there is a quantitative relationship between the angle of attack and sweep angle when the lift coefficient keeps constant; when the angle of attack is small, the flow on the leeward of the wing is stable. when the angle of attack is larger than 3°, the flow becomes unstable quickly; with the increase of sweep angle or angle of attack the disturbance on the windward becomes more unstable, leading to the moving forward of the transition position to the leading edge of the wing; the drag coefficient has two significant jumping growth due to the successive occurrence of transition in the windward and the leeward; the optimal range of sweep angle for civil aircraft is suggested.

Analysis of nonlinear aeroelastic characteristics of a trapezoidal wing in hypersonic flow

Nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of a trapezoidal wing in hypersonic flow is investigated. The aeroelastic governing equations are built by von Karman large deformation theory and the third-order piston theory. The Rayleigh–Ritz approach combined with the affine transformation is formulated and employed to transform the equations of a trapezoidal wing structure, modeled as a cantilevered wing-like plate, into modal coordinates. And then the modal equations are solved by numerical integrations. Several typical cases are studied to validate the capability of the proposed method for linear and nonlinear aeroelastic analysis of trapezoidal cantilever plate in hypersonic flow. The effects of Rayleigh–Ritz mode truncation for various wing-plate geometrical characteristics, i.e., sweep angle of leading edge, taper ratio and span, are examined to determine the appropriate mode number for accurate modeling and fast calculation. Meanwhile, the effects of various geometries of trapezoidal cantilever plates on the flutter stability are investigated. The nonlinear dynamic behaviors of the model with three typical geometries, namely, the rectangular, parallelogram and trapezoidal wing-like plate, are simulated numerically. Furthermore, complex dynamic behaviors are observed and identified via the phase plot, the Poincare map and the largest Lyapunov exponent. The results demonstrate that geometrical parameters of trapezoidal wing have significant effects on the nonlinear aeroelastic behaviors of wing structure. In particular, the evolution processes of chaos exhibit remarkable difference for these three wing configurations.

Optimization of the Wing Parameters for a Winged Subsoiler

ABSTRACT. The wing parameters of a subsoiler, such as the location and angle of the wings, have an important impact on the operating performance of the winged subsoilers. To study the comprehensive effect of wing parameters and to determine the optimal parameters of a winged subsoiler, a field experiment was conducted. The experimental factors were the mounting height (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mm), sweep angle(5°, 15°, 25°, 35°, and 45°) and mounting angle(5°, 15°, 25°, 35°, and 45°). The draft force of the subsoiler and the disturbed soil area were measured; these two variables defined the Specific Draft Force (SDF). The SDF was used as the response index to evaluate the performance of the winged subsoiler. The mathematical model of regression between experimental factors and SDF was established. The results showed that the normal probability distribution of the predicted and measured values of SDF tended to be linear, indicating that the credibility of the results of the analysis was higher. The mounting height, mounting angle, and sweep angle had interactive effects on SDF. The order of significance was mounting height, mounting angle, and sweep angle. The experimental parameters were optimized by Design-Expert 8.0 software: 124 mm for the mounting height, 45° for the mounting angle, and 45° for the sweep angle. This optimal combination of parameters resulted in a SDF of 69.9 kN/m2. The winged subsoiler designed using the optimization results showed that the average value of SDF was 78.73 kN/m2: significantly lower than SDF (79.34-95.33 kN/m2) before optimization. Keywords: Mounting angle, Mounting height, Optimization, Parameter, Specific Draft Force (SDF), Subsoiler, Sweep angle, Wing.

Observations and Measurements of Wing Parameters of the Selected Beetle Species and the Design of a Mechanism Structure Implementing a Complex Wing Movement

Beetle wings perform a flapping movement, consisting of the rotation relative to the two axes. This paper presents the results of observations and measurements of wings operating parameters in different planes of some beetle species. High speed photos and videos were used. The concept of the mechanism performing a complex wing movement was proposed and developed.

Common Noctule Bats Are Sexually Dimorphic in Migratory Behaviour and Body Size but Not Wing Shape.

Within the large order of bats, sexual size dimorphism measured by forearm length and body mass is often female-biased. Several studies have explained this through the effects on load carrying during pregnancy, intrasexual competition, as well as the fecundity and thermoregulation advantages of increased female body size. We hypothesized that wing shape should differ along with size and be under variable selection pressure in a species where there are large differences in flight behaviour. We tested whether load carrying, sex differential migration, or reproductive advantages of large females affect size and wing shape dimorphism in the common noctule (Nyctalus noctula), in which females are typically larger than males and only females migrate long distances each year. We tested for univariate and multivariate size and shape dimorphism using data sets derived from wing photos and biometric data collected during pre-migratory spring captures in Switzerland. Females had forearms that are on average 1% longer than males and are 1% heavier than males after emerging from hibernation, but we found no sex differences in other size, shape, or other functional characters in any wing parameters during this pre-migratory period. Female-biased size dimorphism without wing shape differences indicates that reproductive advantages of big mothers are most likely responsible for sexual dimorphism in this species, not load compensation or shape differences favouring aerodynamic efficiency during pregnancy or migration. Despite large behavioural and ecological sex differences, morphology associated with a specialized feeding niche may limit potential dimorphism in narrow-winged bats such as common noctules and the dramatic differences in migratory behaviour may then be accomplished through plasticity in wing kinematics.

Light conditions affect the performance of Yponomeuta evonymellus on its native host Prunus padus and the alien Prunus serotina.

The bird cherry ermine moth, Yponomeuta evonymellus L., is considered an obligatory monophagous insect pest that feeds only on native European Prunus padus L. In recent years, however, increased larval feeding on alien P. serotina Ehrh. has been observed. In both species, general defoliation is extensive for shade grown trees, whereas it is high in P. padus, but very low in P. serotina, when trees are grown in full light conditions. The aim of the present study was to identify how the plant host species and light conditions affect the performance of Y. evonymellus. The influence of host species and light condition on their growth and development, characterized by the parameters of pupation, adult eclosion, body mass, potential fecundity, and wing size, was measured in a 2 × 2 experimental design (two light treatments, two hosts). In comparison with high light (HL) conditions, a greater percentage of pupation and a longer period and less dynamic adult emerge was observed under low light (LL) conditions. The effect of host species on these parameters was not significant. In contrast, mass, fecundity and all of the studied wing parameters were higher in larvae that grazed on P. padus than on P. serotina. Similarly the same parameters were also higher on shrubs in HL as compared with those grown under LL conditions. In general, light conditions, rather than plant species, were more often and to a greater extent, responsible for differences in the observed parameters of insect development and potential fecundity.

Optimization of lift force for a bio-inspired flapping wing model in hovering flight

The lift force is an important component that affects the aerodynamic performance of bio-inspired flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles. However, there is a lack of endeavors in the optimization of the flapping wing parameters that affect the lift force of micro aerial vehicles. This research is therefore to establish a methodology that combines computational fluid dynamic simulation for the evaluation of the lift generation and wing parameters. The Taguchi’s framework for design of experiments, combined with the computational fluid dynamics simulations, is performed on a simplified robotic fly wing model used in the experiment found in Dickinson et al. (1999), under the hovering flight mode, to identify the most influential parameters on the lift generation of micro aerial vehicles. A commercial computational fluid dynamics code, ANSYS/FLUENT, along with a three-dimensional Navier–Stokes solver is used to simulate the unsteady flow field. With the optimization of the time-averaged lift force as the optimization objective, five typical parameters (flapping frequency, maximum angle of attacks during the upstroke and downstroke motions, stroke amplitude, and rotation type) in the flapping trajectory equation are selected as the input factors with each having four levels. Specific computational fluid dynamics cases are simulated in accordance with the chosen orthogonal arrays. By conducting statistical analyses with analyses of means and variance, the flapping frequency and the stroke amplitude are determined to be the two most influential parameters. The response surface of the time-averaged lift force and the power consumption contour are constructed with respect to these two parameters to determine the optimal combination for the generation of lift forces under a specific power constrain and provide a guideline for bio-inspired micro aerial vehicle designs.

Flow characteristics of air in square duct using delta wing vortex generators

Summary Performance improvement in terms of improving heat transfer coefficient and reducing pressure drop becomes essential in heat exchange applications and a large number of methods for reducing pressure drop exist in the literature and the present work is an investigation on use of delta wings as vortex generators for reducing pressure drop. Methodology includes air from a blower entering the test section through orificemeter and differential-micro manometer to measure the flow rate and pressure drop across the test section. Depending upon the pressure drops, friction factors for smooth and rough surface of the duct are estimated. The effect of geometrical parameters of delta wing and duct aspect ratio on friction factor ratios are reported Based on Reynolds number in the range of 8000−24000. The geometrical parameters of vortex generators varied in this study were the pitch-to-vortex generator height ratio (p/e), vortex generator height to duct hydraulic diameter ratio (e/Dh), aspect ratio of vortex generator (ar). Results are reported for 0.1

Body mass and locomotor habits of the smallest darter, Anhinga minuta (Aves, Anhingidae)

During the Neogene of South America, Anhingidae was represented by several species, mainly with greater sizes than the extant members. In the present contribution, body mass and locomotor habits of Anhinga minuta, the smallest known darter, were inferred. Body mass was estimated using two methods, one with measures of a tibiotarsus (the holotype) and the other, with measurements of a humerus; locomotor habits were inferred through muscular reconstructions and wing parameters (wing span, wing area and wing loading). Estimates of wing span and wing area were based on the length of humerus, assuming a condition of isometry with respect to Anhinga anhinga; wing loading was obtained through a relation formula between wing area and body mass. The results obtained indicate a body mass of about 729 g, a wing span of 0.958 m, a wing area of 0.117 m2 and a corresponding wing loading of 61 N/m2. These values and also the proximal insertion of the musculus pectoralis are consistent with those of a soaring bird but with more frequent flapping than extant anhingids. Furthermore, the inferred musculature for tibiotarsus indicates abilities for swimming, climbing and moving through the vegetation as in extant representatives.

Performance Comparison between Optimised Camber and Span for a Morphing Wing

Morphing technology offers a strategy to modify the wing geometry, and the wing planform and cross-sectional parameters can be optimised to the flight conditions. This paper presents an investigation into the effect of span and camber morphing on the mission performance of a 25-kg UAV, with a straight, rectangular, unswept wing. The wing is optimised over two velocities for various fixed wing and morphing wing strategies, where the objective is to maximise aerodynamic efficiency or range. The investigation analyses the effect of the low and high speed velocity selected, the weighting of the low and high velocity on the computation of the mission parameter, the maximum allowable span retraction and the weight penalty on the mission performance. Models that represent the adaptive aspect ratio (AdAR) span morphing concept and the fish bone active camber (FishBAC) camber morphing concept are used to investigate the effect on the wing parameters. The results indicate that generally morphing for both span and camber, the aerodynamic efficiency is maximised for a 30%–70% to 40%–60% weighting between the low and high speed flight conditions, respectively. The span morphing strategy with optimised fixed camber at the root can deliver up to 25% improvement in the aerodynamic efficiency over a fixed camber and span, for an allowable 50% retraction with a velocity range of 50–115 kph. Reducing the allowable retraction to 25% reduces the improvement to 8%–10% for a 50%–50% mission weighting. Camber morphing offers a maximum of 4.5% improvement approximately for a velocity range of 50–90 kph. Improvements in the efficiency achieved through camber morphing are more sensitive to the velocity range in the mission, generally decreasing rapidly by reducing or increasing the velocity range, where span morphing appears more robust for an increase in velocity range beyond the optimum. However, where span morphing requires considerable modification to the planform, the camber change required for optimum performance is only a 5% trailing edge tip deflection relative to cross-sectional chord length. Span morphing, at the optimal mission velocity range, with 25% allowable retraction, can allow up to a 12% increase in mass before no performance advantage is observed, where the camber morphing only allows up to 3%. This provides the designer with a mass budget that must be achieved for morphing to be viable to increase the mission performance.

Modal Analysis Using Digital Image Correlation Technique: An Application to Artificial Wing Mimicking Beetle’s Hind Wing

Understanding the dynamic behavior of structures has become increasingly important in the design process of any mechanical system. Therefore, the demands for improved structural performance have motivated the search for an effective method of structural dynamics testing, since the conventional methods are limited to the location of relatively few applied sensors. Due to the state-of-the-art optical technologies, the shape and deformation of a vibrating structure have been measured using 3-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC) technique. Although DIC has been used widely to construct the mode shape of the structure in modal measurement, it has rarely been applied to determine the full modal parameters (natural frequencies, mode shapes, damping factors). Therefore, this study presents an effective method to measure the full modal parameters of an artificial wing that mimics a beetle’s hind wing using the DIC technique. In our measurement, the artificial wing was mounted on a shaker, which was vibrated with a white noise signal. The full-field result as well as the displacement of a single point on the wing over time was then obtained using ARAMIS® software, a DIC technique-based software. From the temporal displacement of a single point signal in the time domain, we performed fast Fourier transform to obtain the frequency response function (FRF). The spectrum averaging technique and Savitzky-Golay filter were used to reduce the noise. Also, the natural frequencies and damping factors were determined from smoothed FRF. Finally, the mode shapes were measured using DIC at the pre-measured natural frequency.

AЕRODYNAMIC DESIGN WING WITH SOLAR CELLS

In the paper we study a common approach to determine the basic parameters of the aircraft wing on solar energy and develop an algorithm for calculating them. Defined operating range relative thickness of the wing of the aircraft on solar energy. To determine the area to accommodate the solar cell radius of curvature of the dependence of the relative coordinates of the profile and dependence of the aerodynamic qualities of the angle of attack for three typical profiles. The proposed algorithm to determine basic parameters wing aircraft on solar energy and on this basis the calculation parameters wing aircraft on solar energy.

통합된 상용 툴을 이용한 전투기급 항공기 개념설계

Automated design program using commercial process integration and optimization program was developed for conceptual design of fighter-class aircraft. Wind tunnel test data and performance analysis results were compared for the verification of analysis tool of this program, and the usefulness of the tool was found. After integration with radar cross section analysis tool, the correlation with configuration design variables of wing, tail and performance parameters was identified by design of experiment, and the optimized configuration for weight and RCS was derived from optimization of empty weight and average frontal RCS value. After parameter definition of fuselage, the program can be implemented for full aircraft configuration.