J4 ›› 2015, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (2): 227-237.doi: 10.1016/S1672-6529(14)60115-3

• 论文 • 上一篇    下一篇

Power Requirements of Vertical Flight in the Dronefly

Chong Shen, Mao Sun   

  1. Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Beijing University of Aeronautics &|Astronautics, Beijing 100191, China
  • 出版日期:2015-03-30
  • 通讯作者: Chong Shen E-mail:scinrain@ase.buaa.edu.cn

Power Requirements of Vertical Flight in the Dronefly

Chong Shen, Mao Sun   

  1. Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Beijing University of Aeronautics &|Astronautics, Beijing 100191, China
  • Online:2015-03-30
  • Contact: Chong Shen E-mail:scinrain@ase.buaa.edu.cn

摘要:

Power requirements in vertical flight in the dronefly (Eristarlis tenax; also known as hoverfly) are studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The flow solution provides the aerodynamic forces and torques; the inertial torques due to the acceleration of the wing-mass are computed analytically. From the aerodynamic and inertial torques, the mechanical power is obtained. It has been shown that at hovering flight, the specific power with 100% elastic energy storage is 43.51 W•kg−1 and that without elastic energy storage is 60.12 W•kg−1. During vertical flight, the specific power increases with the ascending ratio K (ratio of the ascending velocity to the tip velocity); it is proportional to K to the power of about 1.37. When flying upward at an ascending ratio of about 0.3, the power required is the same as that when the insect carries a load of about 50% of its weight.

关键词: insect, upward flying, Navier-Stokes simulation, flight balance, flight power

Abstract:

Power requirements in vertical flight in the dronefly (Eristarlis tenax; also known as hoverfly) are studied using the method of computational fluid dynamics. The flow solution provides the aerodynamic forces and torques; the inertial torques due to the acceleration of the wing-mass are computed analytically. From the aerodynamic and inertial torques, the mechanical power is obtained. It has been shown that at hovering flight, the specific power with 100% elastic energy storage is 43.51 W•kg−1 and that without elastic energy storage is 60.12 W•kg−1. During vertical flight, the specific power increases with the ascending ratio K (ratio of the ascending velocity to the tip velocity); it is proportional to K to the power of about 1.37. When flying upward at an ascending ratio of about 0.3, the power required is the same as that when the insect carries a load of about 50% of its weight.

Key words: insect, upward flying, Navier-Stokes simulation, flight balance, flight power