Induced Strain Actuation for Solid-State Ornithopters: An Aeroelastic Study

Abstract

This paper investigates the dynamic aeroelastic behavior of strain actuated flapping wings with various geometries and boundary conditions. A fluid-structure interaction model of a plate-like flapping wing is developed. Assuming a chord Reynolds number of 100,000, the wing is harmonically actuated while varying parameters such as aspect ratio and wing root clamped percentage. Characteristic metrics for the dynamic motion, natural frequency, lift and drag are developed. These results are compared with purely structural behavior to understand the aeroelastic effects.