Numerical simulation of propulsion of halfrotating wing with WeisFogh effect

ZHANG Yuhua, WANG Xiaoyi, HONG Hong, QIU Zhizhen

(School of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma′anshan 243002, China)

Abstract: Aiming at the thrust computation of halfrotating wing as a new power wing to be applied in bionic flying, a model of the halfrotating wing was proposed and the formulas to calculate the model parameter were derived. The two CFD models, wings with fixed wall and no wall, were established based on XFLOW with reasonable computed area and boundary condition of the flow field, turbulent flow model and complex motion of rigid wings. The numerical simulation was made using the same parameters and inputs in a experimental model of the halfrotating wing to obtain the flow field characteristic of the two CFD models and the wing's propulsion affected by WeisFogh effect. The computed thrust was compared with experimented thrust in same conditions in all of motion period of the wing. The results indicate that the wing lap and fling always act on the velocity distribution in the flow field around the wing with fixed wall so as to greatly increase the wing thrust. The computed thrust from the models presented above can demonstrate real change of the wing thrust. These provide important reference for the thrust estimation of different parameter models with fixed wall.

Key words: Biorobot; halfrotating wing; WeisFogh effect; numerical simulation