Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed
This paper aims to understand the aerodynamic performance of a bio-inspired flapping-wing model using the dwarf Kingfisher wing as the bionic reference. The paper demonstrates the numerical investigation of the Kingfisher-inspired flapping-wing followed by experimental validation to comprehend the r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI
2022
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101021/ |
| _version_ | 1848863473209966592 |
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| author | Abas, Mohd Firdaus Singh, Balbir Ahmad, Kamarul Arifin Yin, Eddie Kwee Ng Khan, Tabrej Sebaey, Tamer A. |
| author_facet | Abas, Mohd Firdaus Singh, Balbir Ahmad, Kamarul Arifin Yin, Eddie Kwee Ng Khan, Tabrej Sebaey, Tamer A. |
| author_sort | Abas, Mohd Firdaus |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This paper aims to understand the aerodynamic performance of a bio-inspired flapping-wing model using the dwarf Kingfisher wing as the bionic reference. The paper demonstrates the numerical investigation of the Kingfisher-inspired flapping-wing followed by experimental validation to comprehend the results fully and examine the aerodynamic characteristics at a flight velocity of 4.4 m/s, with wingbeat frequencies of 11 Hz, 16 Hz, and 21 Hz, at various angles of rotation ranging from 0° to 20° for each stroke cycle. The motivation to study the performance at low speed is based on lift generation as a challenge at low speed as per quasi-steady theory. The temporal evolution of the mean force coefficients has been plotted for various angles of rotation. The results show amplification of the maximum value for the cycle average lift and drag coefficient as the rotation angle increases. The history of vertical force and the flow patterns around the wing is captured in a full cycle with asymmetric lift development in a single stroke cycle. It is observed from the results that the downstroke generates more lift force in magnitude compared to the upstroke. In addition to the rotation angle, lift asymmetry is also affected by wing–wake interaction. Experimental results reveal that there is a stable leading-edge vortex developed in the downstroke, which sheds during the upstroke. An optimum lift and thrust flapping flight can be achieved, with a lift coefficient of 3.45 at 12°. The experimental and parametric study results also reveal the importance of passive rotation in wings for aerodynamic performance and wing flexibility as an important factor for lift generation. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:33:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-101021 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T13:33:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | MDPI |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1010212023-06-19T03:56:07Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101021/ Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed Abas, Mohd Firdaus Singh, Balbir Ahmad, Kamarul Arifin Yin, Eddie Kwee Ng Khan, Tabrej Sebaey, Tamer A. This paper aims to understand the aerodynamic performance of a bio-inspired flapping-wing model using the dwarf Kingfisher wing as the bionic reference. The paper demonstrates the numerical investigation of the Kingfisher-inspired flapping-wing followed by experimental validation to comprehend the results fully and examine the aerodynamic characteristics at a flight velocity of 4.4 m/s, with wingbeat frequencies of 11 Hz, 16 Hz, and 21 Hz, at various angles of rotation ranging from 0° to 20° for each stroke cycle. The motivation to study the performance at low speed is based on lift generation as a challenge at low speed as per quasi-steady theory. The temporal evolution of the mean force coefficients has been plotted for various angles of rotation. The results show amplification of the maximum value for the cycle average lift and drag coefficient as the rotation angle increases. The history of vertical force and the flow patterns around the wing is captured in a full cycle with asymmetric lift development in a single stroke cycle. It is observed from the results that the downstroke generates more lift force in magnitude compared to the upstroke. In addition to the rotation angle, lift asymmetry is also affected by wing–wake interaction. Experimental results reveal that there is a stable leading-edge vortex developed in the downstroke, which sheds during the upstroke. An optimum lift and thrust flapping flight can be achieved, with a lift coefficient of 3.45 at 12°. The experimental and parametric study results also reveal the importance of passive rotation in wings for aerodynamic performance and wing flexibility as an important factor for lift generation. MDPI 2022-08-29 Article PeerReviewed Abas, Mohd Firdaus and Singh, Balbir and Ahmad, Kamarul Arifin and Yin, Eddie Kwee Ng and Khan, Tabrej and Sebaey, Tamer A. (2022) Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed. Biomimetics, 7 (3). art. no. 123. pp. 1-17. ISSN 2313-7673 https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/7/3/123#:~:text=At%20a%20low%20flight%20velocity,escape%20from%20even%20larger%20predators. 10.3390/biomimetics7030123 |
| spellingShingle | Abas, Mohd Firdaus Singh, Balbir Ahmad, Kamarul Arifin Yin, Eddie Kwee Ng Khan, Tabrej Sebaey, Tamer A. Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed |
| title | Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed |
| title_full | Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed |
| title_fullStr | Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed |
| title_short | Dwarf Kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed |
| title_sort | dwarf kingfisher-inspired bionic flapping wing and its aerodynamic performance at lowest flight speed |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101021/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101021/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/101021/ |