Clap-and-fling mechanism in a hovering insect-like two-winged flapping-wing micro air vehicle

This study used numerical and experimental approaches to investigate the role played by the clap-and-fling mechanism in enhancing force generation in hovering insect-like two-winged flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FW-MAV). The flapping mechanism was designed to symmetrically flap wings at a high flapping amplitude of approximately 192°. The clap-and-fling mechanisms were thereby implemented at both dorsal and ventral stroke reversals. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was constructed based on three-dimensional wing kinematics to estimate the force generation, which was validated by the measured forces using a 6-axis load cell. The computed forces proved that the CFD model provided reasonable estimation with differences less than 8%, when compared with the measured forces. The measurement indicated that the clap and flings at both the stroke reversals augmented the average vertical force by 16.2% when compared with the force without the clap-and-fling effect. In the CFD simulati...

本研究采用数值与实验方法，探究了拍合-展开机制（clap-and-fling mechanism）对仿悬停昆虫双翅扑翼微型飞行器（flapping-wing micro air vehicle, FW-MAV）升力产生的增强作用。该扑翼机构设计为对称扑动模式，扑动幅度高达约192°。拍合-展开机制在背向与腹向冲程反转位置均得以应用。本研究基于三维机翼运动学构建了计算流体动力学（computational fluid dynamic, CFD）模型以估算升力生成情况，并通过六维测力传感器采集的实测力对该模型进行了验证。计算结果表明，与实测力相比，该CFD模型的估算误差小于8%，预测结果合理。实测结果显示，相较于无拍合-展开效应的工况，在两处冲程反转位置应用拍合-展开机制可使平均垂直升力提升16.2%。在CFD仿真