Dynamic Fluid-Structure Coupling Method of Flexible Flapping Wing for MAV

This paper presents a numerical method to simulate the dynamic interaction between the structural deformation and the aerodynamic characteristics of flexible flapping wing for micro air vehicle (MAV). A fluid-structure coupling solver is developed based on the Navier-Stokes equations and the structural dynamic equations. In addition, the interface data exchange method based on the radial basis function and the moving mesh generation method based on the infinite interpolation are applied, which play an important role in the coupling research. The preceding method is validated by comparison with the wind tunnel experimental results. For the research scope of this article (R=5×104), the flexible deformation impacts of flapping wing on aerodynamic performance are presented. The simulation results proved that the structural deformation has a significant effect on the aerodynamic forces, especially on the thrust, and the structural deformation is determined by aerodynamic and inertial forces together, but with different impact ratio as the change of flapping frequency. Moreover, the flow details are further investigated to discuss the influence of flexible deformation on the aerodynamics.