Project Team
Students
Cooper Kovar Lietz
Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology
Penn State Berks
Lisa Panczner
Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology
Penn State Berks
Faculty Mentors
Dr. Azar Eslam-Panah
Penn State Berks
Division of Engineering
Dr. Bo Cheng
Penn State University Park
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Project
https://sites.psu.edu/mcreu/files/formidable/2/2020-MCREU-Panczner-and-Kovar-Lietz-2.pdf
Project Video
Project Abstract
Small birds and insects take flight by flapping and rotating their wings to create enough lift force for flight, as well as to maneuver through unpredictable gusts of wind. While several studies have been conducted to measure how birds and small insects fly in laminar flow, little is known about how these animals naturally change their wing’s flapping frequency and amplitude when experiencing turbulence. By studying a plunging, pitching, and rotating wing in a water channel facility that generates structured gusts, we can get a better understanding of what movements make the natural flight so efficient when the gusts become unpredictable. Using a parametric study, the experiments will hopefully prove that natural wing movements can be mimicked in turbulent flow, while also decreasing the amount of energy required by the wing. If successful, this knowledge can be applied to Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs), which currently use a human-designed flight system that involves rotary blades sitting atop the device. While MAVs are becoming increasingly pertinent in today’s world, it may be time to change their design to something more natural like a flapping wing, if it means increasing their efficiency and preserving energy when the flow becomes unpredictable.
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