Comparative study on analytical and computational aerodynamic models for flapping wings MAVs

A range of quasi-steady and unsteady aerodynamic models are used to predict the aerodynamic forces experienced by a flapping wing and a detailed comparison amongst these predictions in provided. The complexity of the models ranges from the analytical potential flow model to the computational Unsteady Vortex Lattice Method (UVLM), which allows one to describe the motion of the wake and account for its influence on the fluid loads. The novelty of this effort lies in a modification of the predicted forces as a generalisation of the leading edge suction analogy. This modification is introduced to account for the delayed stall mechanism due to leading edge flow separation. The model predictions are compared with two sets of independent experimental data and with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation data available in the literature. It is found that both, the modified analytical model and the UVLM model can be used to describe the time history of the lift force, in some cases with better results than a high-fidelity CFD model. The models presented here constitute a useful basis for the aerodynamic design of bioinspired flapping-wings micro-air vehicles.