Title: Experimental and numerical investigations of pitch-plunging wing aerodynamics at low Reynolds number

Authors: Ralf Wokoeck; Rolf Radespiel; Hauke Ehlers; Robert Konrath

Addresses: Institute of Fluid Mechanics (ISM), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hermann-Blenk-Str. 37, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany ' Institute of Fluid Mechanics (ISM), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hermann-Blenk-Str. 37, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany ' German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Bunsenstraße 10, 37073 Göttingen, Germany ' German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Bunsenstraße 10, 37073 Göttingen, Germany

Abstract: In the present paper, the first results of a broad study of static and moving flat plate wings for micro air vehicles (MAVs) are presented. Wind tunnel experiments with force measurements and particle image velocimetry (PIV) were performed in a specially designed wind tunnel environment for low Reynolds number investigations. Corresponding numerical flow simulations were also carried out. Effects of the wing shape (elliptical and rectangular), the Reynolds number (18,000, 36,000 and 108,000) and the kinematics using different motion forms of pure plunge and combined pitch/plunge with a reduced frequency of k = 0.2 are discussed.

Keywords: pitch-plunging wing aerodynamics; micro air vehicles; MAV design; flat plate wings; flapping wing kinematics; low Reynolds number; Reynolds number effect; low aspect ratio; aspect ratio effect; wing plan shape; vortical flow structures; vortex interaction; dynamic model support; dynamic modelling; force measurements; particle image velocimetry; PIV; wind tunnels.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESMS.2013.052370

International Journal of Engineering Systems Modelling and Simulation, 2013 Vol.5 No.1/2/3, pp.19 - 32

Published online: 29 Aug 2014 *

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