• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.48-53
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• 2005

In this paper, we present our recent progress in the LIPCA (Lightweight Piezo-Composite Actuator) application for actuation of a flapping wing device. The flapping device uses linkage system that can amplify the actuation displacement of LIPCA. The feathering mechanism is also designed and implemented such that the wing can rotate during flapping. The natural flapping-frequency of the device was about 9 Hz, where the maximum flapping angle was achieved. The flapping test under 4 Hz to 15 Hz flapping frequency was performed to investigate the flapping performance by measuring the produced lift and thrust. Maximum lift and thrust were produced when the flapping device was actuated at about the natural flapping-frequency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.719-722
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• 2005

In this paper, we present out recent progress in the LIPCA (Lightweight Piezo-Composite Actuator) application for actuation of a flapping wing device. The flapping device uses linkage system that can amplify the actuation displacement of LIPCA. The feathering mechanism is also designed and implemented such that the wing can rotate during flapping. The natural flapping-frequency of the device was about 9 Hz, where the maximum flapping angle was achieved. The flapping test under 5 Hz to 15 Hz flapping frequency was performed to investigate the flapping performance by measuring the produced lift and thrust. Maximum lift and thrust were produced when the flapping device was actuated at about the natural flapping-frequency.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.256-261
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• 2016

An insect-like flapping-wing flying-robot should be able to produce flight forces and control moments at the same time only by flapping wings, because there is no control surface at tail just like an insect. In this paper, design principles for the flapping mechanism and control moment generator are briefly explained, characteristics measured force and moment generations of the robot are presented, and finally controlled flight of the flying robot is demonstrated. The present insect-like robot comprises a lightweight flapping mechanism that can produce a flapping angle larger than $180^{\circ}$ and a control moment generator that produces pitch, roll, and yaw moments by adjusting location of the trailing edges at the wing roots. The measured force and moment data show that the control input angles less than $9^{\circ}$ would not significantly reduce the vertical force generation. It is also observed that the pitch, roll, and yaw control moments are produced only by the corresponding control input. The simple PID control theory is used for the controlled flight of the flying robot, controlling pitch, roll, and yaw motions. The flying robot successfully demonstrated controlled flight for about 40 seconds.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.759-764
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• 2003

Numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the mechanism of hovering flight by single flapping wing, and to examine the effect of the phase difference between the fore- and hindwings in hovering flight by two flapping wings. The numerical method used is based on an immersed boundary method in Cartesian coordinates. The Reynolds number considered is Re=150 based on the maximum translational velocity and chord length of the wing. For single flapping wing, the stroke plane angles are $0^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$, $75^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ and the downstroke angles of attack are varied for each stroke angle. Results show that for each stroke plane angle, there is an optimal angle of attack to maximize the vertical force. Below the stroke angle of $60^{\circ}$, wake capturing reduces the negative vertical force during the upstroke. For two flapping wings, The phase lags of the hindwing are $0^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$, $180^{\circ}$ and $270^{\circ}$. The amplitudes of the stroke are 2.5 and 4.0 times the chord length at each phase lag. The results show that maximum vertical force is generated when the phase lag is zero, and the amplitude of the vertical force is minimum at the phase lag of $180^{\circ}$.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.24-32
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• 2003

In this work, we propose a new idea of flapping airfoil design for optimal aerodynamic performance from detailed computational investigations of flow physics. Generally, flapping motion which is combined with pitching and plunging motion of airfoil, leads to complex flow features such as leading edge separation and vortex street. As it is well known, the mechanism of thrust generation of flapping airfoil is based on inverse Karman-vortex street. This vortex street induces jet-like flow field at the rear region of trailing edge and then generates thrust. The leading edge separation vortex can also play an important role with its aerodynamic performances. The flapping airfoil introduces an alternative propulsive way instead of the current inefficient propulsive system such as a propeller in the low Reynolds number flow. Thrust coefficient and propulsive efficiency are the two major parameters in the design of flapping airfoil as propulsive system. Through numerous computations, we found the specific physical flow phenomenon which governed the aerodynamic characteristics in flapping airfoil. Based on this physical insight, we could come up with a new kind of airfoil of tadpole-shaped and more enhanced aerodynamic performance.

• Composites Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.7-12
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• 2009

This paper deals with a fabrication method of composite hinge mechanisms for flapping-wing micro air vehicles. The fabrication process includes curing process of Graphite/Epoxyprepregs, laser cutting for high fabrication repeatability, laminating of Graphite/Epoxy prepregs with Kapton film which is used for flexure, and so on. The fabricated hinge mechanism was attached with PUMPS actuators and the measured flapping angle was $173^{\circ}$ when driving voltage was 300V 170Hz.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.748-755
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• 2006

In this paper, a trade-off design and fabrication of IPMC(Ionic Polymer Metal Composites) as an actuator for a flapping device have been described. Experiments for the internal solvent loss of IPMCs have been conducted for various combinations of cation and solvent in order to find out the best combination of cation and solvent for minimal solvent loss and higher actuation force. From the experiments, it was found that IPMCs with heavy water as their solvent could operate longer. Relations between length/thickness and tip force of IPMCs were also quantitatively identified for the actuator design from the tip force measurement of 200, 400, 640, and $800{\mu}m$ thick IPMCs. All IPMCs thicker than $200{\mu}m$ were processed by casting $Nafion^{TM}$ solution. The shorter and thicker IPMCs tended to generate higher actuation force but lower actuation displacement. To improve surface conductivity and to minimize solvent evaporation due to electrically heated electrodes, gold was sputtered on both surfaces of the cast IPMCs by the Physical Vapor Deposition(PVD) process. For amplification of a short IPMC's small actuation displacement to a large flapping motion, a rack-and-pinion type hinge was used in the flapping device. An insect wing was attached to the IPMC flapping mechanism for its flapping test. In this test, the wing flapping device using the $800{\mu}m$ thick IPMC. could create around $10^{\circ}{\sim}85^{\circ}$ flapping angles and $0.5{\sim}15Hz$ flapping frequencies by applying $3{\sim|}4V$.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.291-293
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• 2003

This paper deals with a thrust generation of flapping-airfoil by dynamic stall. From many other previous research results, phase angle $ between pitching and plunging mode of flapping motion must be 90 deg. to satisfy maximum propulsive efficiency. In this case, leading edge vortex is relatively small. This phenomenon is related dynamic stall. So preventing leading edge vortex induced by dynamic stall guarantees maximum propulsive efficiency. But, in this paper we insist the leading edge vortex yields quite a positive influence on thrust generation and propulsive efficiency. In order to certify our opinion, pitching and plunging motions were calculated with the parameter of amplitude and frequency by using the unsteady, incompressible Navier-Stokes flow solver with a two-equation turbulence model. For more efficient computation, it is parallelized by MPI programming method.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.289-296
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• 2017

In this paper, geometrical optimization for newly designed flapping mechanism for insect-like micro air vehicle is presented. The mechanism uses strings to convert rotation of motor to reciprocating wing motion to reduce the total weight and inertial force. The governing algorithm of movement of the mechanism is established considering the characteristic of string that only tensile force can be acted by string, to optimize the kinematics. Modified pattern search method which is complemented to avoid converging into local optimum is adopted to the geometrical optimization of the mechanism. Then, prototype of the optimized geometry is produced and experimented to check the feasibility of the mechanism and the optimization method. The results from optimization and experiment shows good agreement in flapping amplitude and other wing kinematics. Further research will be conducted on dynamic analysis of the mechanism and detailed specification of the prototype.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.311-314
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• 2007

Aerodynamic characteristics of an insect-type flapping wings were carried out to obtain the design parameters of Micro Hovering Air Vehicle. A pair of wing model was scaled up about 200 times and applied two pairs of 4-bar linkage mechanism to mimic the wing motion of a fruit fly(Drosophila). To verify the Weis-Fogh mechanism, a pair of wings revolved on the 'Delayed Rotation'. Lift and drag were measured in conditions of the Reynolds number based on wing tip velocity of about 1,200 and the maximum angle of attack of 40$40^{\circ}$. Inertia forces of a wing model were also measured by using a 99.98% vacuum chamber and subtracted on measured data in air. In the present study, high lift effect of Weis-Fogh mechanism was appeared in the middle of upstroke motion.