• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
• /
• 제13권2호
• /
• pp.238-249
• /
• 2012

Flight test of flapping micro air vehicles (FMAVs) is carried out using an instrumented measurement system to obtain various engineering parameters and hence to assess the flight performance of the vehicles through the data investigation. An indoor flight test facility equipped with a motion capture system and tracking cameras is used for the work presented in this paper. Maneuvers including straight-level flight, ground flapping, takeoff and landing are tested. Spatial position and orientation data are obtained from the retro-reflective tracking markers attached to the vehicles. Subsequent test analysis is carried out by generating performance parameters from raw data and then assessing the flight performance by comparison of the vehicles. The main findings of this work confirm that the test method and procedures presented here enable the systematic numerical data measurement and assessment of the flying performances of these vehicles, and show the applicability for the test and evaluation of general flapping MAVs.

• Transactions on Control, Automation and Systems Engineering
• /
• 제4권2호
• /
• pp.176-187
• /
• 2002

This paper focuses on the study of simulation and evolution of Micro Air Vehicles. Micro Air Vehicles or MAVs are small flying robots that are used for surveillance, search and rescue, and other missions. The simulated robots are designed based on realistic characteristics and the brains (controllers) of the robots are generated using genetic algorithms, i .e., simulated evolution. The objective for the experiments is to investigate the effects of robot team size and topology (simulation environment) on the evolution of simulated robots. The testing of team sizes deals with finding an ideal number of robots to be deployed for a given mission. The goal of the topology experiments is to see if there is an ideal topology (environment) to evolve the robots in order to increase their utility in most environments. We compare the results of the various experiments by evaluating the fitness values of the robots i .e., performance measure. In addition, evolved robot teams are tested in different situation in order to determine if the results can be generalized, and statistical analysis is performed to evaluate the evolved results.

• 제어로봇시스템학회논문지
• /
• 제21권1호
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2015

This paper investigates the longitudinal flight dynamics and stability of flapping-wing micro air vehicles. Periodic external forces and moments due to the flapping motion characterize the dynamics of this system as NLTP (Non Linear Time Periodic). However, the averaging theorem can be applied to an NLTP system to obtain an NLTI (Non Linear Time Invariant) system which allows us to use a standard eigen value analysis to assess the stability of the system with linearization around a reference point. In this paper, we investigate the dynamics and stability of a hawkmoth-scale flapping-wing air vehicle by establishing an LTI (Linear Time Invariant) system model around a hovering condition. Also, a direct time integration of full nonlinear equations of motion of the flapping-wing micro air vehicle is conducted to see how the longitudinal flight dynamics appear in the time domain beyond the reference point, i.e. hovering condition. In the study, the flapping-wing air vehicle exhibited three distinct dynamic modes of motion in the longitudinal plane of motion: two stable subsidence modes and one unstable oscillatory mode. The unstable oscillatory mode is found to be a combination of a pitching velocity state and a forward/backward velocity state.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• 제6권7호
• /
• pp.867-887
• /
• 2010

An energy-based variational approach is used for structural dynamic modeling of the IPMC (Ionic Polymer Metal Composites) flapping wing. Dynamic characteristics of the wing are analyzed using numerical simulations. Starting with the initial design, critical parameters which have influence on the performance of the wing are identified through parametric studies. An optimization study is performed to obtain improved flapping actuation of the IPMC wing. It is shown that the optimization algorithm leads to a flapping wing with dimensions similar to the dragonfly Aeshna Multicolor wing. An unsteady aerodynamic model based on modified strip theory is used to obtain the aerodynamic forces. It is found that the IPMC wing generates sufficient lift to support its own weight and carry a small payload. It is therefore a potential candidate for flapping wing of micro air vehicles.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
• /
• 제15권2호
• /
• pp.212-217
• /
• 2014

Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) are useful devices to assess new features that may be utilized in a full size aircraft to enhance performance or to increase endurance. In this article, sources for energy saving in the micro air vehicles are initially addressed. Then, by specifying the important parameters on energy consumption of an aircraft, a feasibility study is conducted to assess the benefit of using solar cells to increase flight endurance. Next, a new solar cell has been designed and optimized for MAVs. This cell consists of a multiple quantum wells for which the quantum factor and the absorption coefficient are calculated by solving the Shrodinger equation using MATLAB software. Then, the manner and influence of MAVs parameters using the solar cells are examined to suggest optimal planform for different purposes. In order to increase flight endurance, it is noted that by using appropriate planform and the optimized solar cells, flight endurance can be increased by more than 30 percent.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• 제10권1호
• /
• pp.67-87
• /
• 2012

A dragonfly inspired flapping wing is investigated in this paper. The flapping wing is actuated from the root by a PZT-5H and PZN-7%PT single crystal unimorph in the piezofan configuration. The non-linear governing equations of motion of the smart flapping wing are obtained using the Hamilton's principle. These equations are then discretized using the Galerkin method and solved using the method of multiple scales. Dynamic characteristics of smart flapping wings having the same size as the actual wings of three different dragonfly species Aeshna Multicolor, Anax Parthenope Julius and Sympetrum Frequens are analyzed using numerical simulations. An unsteady aerodynamic model is used to obtain the aerodynamic forces. Finally, a comparative study of performances of three piezoelectrically actuated flapping wings is performed. The numerical results in this paper show that use of PZN-7%PT single crystal piezoceramic can lead to considerable amount of wing weight reduction and increase of lift and thrust force compared to PZT-5H material. It is also shown that dragonfly inspired smart flapping wings actuated by single crystal piezoceramic are a viable contender for insect scale flapping wing micro air vehicles.

• 한국항공우주학회지
• /
• 제49권3호
• /
• pp.185-195
• /
• 2021

본 연구의 날갯짓 초소형 비행체는 실제 생명체의 날개를 모방하여, 매우 유연한 재질의 캠버날개를 활용한다. 캠버 날개는 생명체와 유사하게 앞전, 시맥, 박막과 같이 특성이 서로 다른 세가지 재질로 구성되어 있고 다양한 방식으로 구속되어 있다. 날개의 유연성을 활용한 수동 회전(passive rotation) 방식은 앞전과 시맥의 재질이 날갯짓 궤적에 매우 큰 영향을 미치는 요소이기 때문에 적절한 유연성을 갖는 재질의 선정이 필수적이다. 이러한 날개의 재질들과 복잡한 형상을 사실적으로 모델링하여 정밀하게 해석할 수 있는 유체-구조 연성해석 프로그램을 개발하고, 날개의 앞전과 시맥의 탄성 계수의 변화에 따른 공력탄성학 효과를 정밀하게 분석하였다. 결과적으로 재료의 탄성 계수 변화만으로도 날개의 비틀림각 궤적을 적절히 발생시킴으로써 날갯짓 비행체의 추력 및 효율을 크게 증가시킬 수 있음을 보였다.

• Composites Research
• /
• 제22권6호
• /
• pp.7-12
• /
• 2009

본 연구는 압전 작동기 기반 초소형 날갯짓 비행체의 날갯짓 운동을 위해, 압전 작동기의 펌핑 운동을 효과적으로 날갯짓 운동으로 변환하는 힌지 메커니즘 제작 기법에 대해 다루었다. 경량화를 위해 탄소섬유/에폭시(Graphite/Epoxy) 프리프레그를 사용하고, 반복적인 제작이 용이하도록 레이저 절단기를 활용하였으며, 힌지부는 얇은 캡톤 필름을 이용해 컴플라이언트(compliant) 메커니즘으로 구성하였다. 제작된 힌지 메커니즘을 압전 유니모프 작동기 PUMPS에 연결하여 동작시켜 본결과, 300V 170Hz 인가 전압에서 $173^{\circ}$의 큰 날갯짓 각을 가짐을 확인하였다.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
• /
• 제14권6호
• /
• pp.1192-1197
• /
• 2011

Recent developments of small-size unmanned or manned mobile systems such as autonomous robots, exoskeleton or armored suits, micro air vehicles, and unmanned armored vehicles require long-lasting independent power sources of high energy and power density to support the systems' operation for up to 72 hours in the fields. Chemical batteries such as Ni-MH, Li-Ion, the current primary power sources for mobile devices, however, are not capable of providing enough power and energy density for the next generation high power mobile machines. For this reason, KIMM along with KERI and KIMS has been carrying out a 500W MTG development project under the DAPA's "Next generation military power source R&D program" since 2009. In this paper, a design process for a 500W MTG system currently being developed at KIMM is briefly described and the technical issues related to its development are addressed.

• 한국항공우주학회지
• /
• 제39권10호
• /
• pp.905-911
• /
• 2011

초소형 작동기 기술의 발전과 함께, 초소형 플랩핑 날개짓 비행체 개발 연구가 활발히 진행중이다. 본 연구에서는 경계요소법을 사용하여 히브진동운동하는 3차원 날개의 운동학적 매개변수인 진동 주파수 및 진폭과 기하학적 변수인 테이퍼 및 종횡비의 변화에 따른 양력 및 추력 특성을 연구했다. 날개짓 주파수가 1Hz 보다 작은 경우 진폭과 무관하게 양력이 발생하지 않았다. 추력계수 값은 날개짓 주파수와 히빙진폭이 클수록 값의 크기가 증가했다. 테이퍼 비와 종횡비가 큰 날개일수록 양력 및 추력 값이 크게 나타났다. 향후 피칭 및 플랩핑 운동 날개의 공력특성변화에 대한 연구를 수행할 예정이다.