This talk is to demonstrate the numerical and experimental verifications on the modified wing design of a flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs). The subject is a flapping wing of 20 cm span used in micro ornithopters subject to the conditions of 13-15 Hz flapping, inclined body angle of 20 degrees and the upwind speed of 0-3 m/s. In the first part, numerical simulations will be performed through varying the density of mesh for half flapping wing profile with wind tunnel domain for varied flapping stroke angles 53° and 90°. Comparative evaluation of 3D numerical and experimental lift force data relevant to the translational and rotational lift phenomenon’s of Dickinson’s mechanisms will be revealed. The generation of stream line flows over the 3D wing profile will be also compared with existing smoke trace experimental data to check the agreement. The dynamic motion of a flapping wing using 3D stereo photography and COMSOL Multiphysics simulation will be moreover compared to realize the aerodynamic characteristics. The comparison of simulation and experimental results of 3D flapping wing is supposed to provide an insight to visualize the flapping wing motion characteristics and opens up new vista in flapping wing aerodynamic analysis of micro-air-vehicles (MAVs). A new flow visualization technique using soap film, developed by Tamkang University, is additionally demonstrated to evaluate the downwash and the 3D lift of a flapping wing. In the second part, FWMAV systems with conventional flapping mechanisms and all-servo flapping wing will be introduced respectively. The control for the FWMAV and the servos are basically Arduino-based modules which are good for light-weighted miniaturization in the future.
