Title: Aerodynamic study on bio-inspired unmanned aerial vehicle wings

Authors: N. Rajamurugu

Addresses: Department of Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, KCG College of Technology, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India

Abstract: This study investigates the aerodynamic performance of bio-inspired wings for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Five insect-inspired wings - Tipula SP, dragonfly, hawkmoth, honey bee, and American deer botfly - were tested across varying angles of attack (0°, 5°, 10°, 15°), wind velocities (5 m/s, 10 m/s, 15 m/s), and flapping frequencies (2 Hz, 4 Hz) in a wind tunnel. The findings reveal that the Tipula SP wing design is the most effective, achieving a maximum lift coefficient (Cl) of 1.689 at 15 m/s, a 15° angle of attack, and a 4 Hz frequency. This performance is 18.01% higher than dragonfly wings, 69.78% higher than hawkmoth wings, 95.20% more efficient than honey bee wings, and 78.21% greater than American deer botfly wings under the same conditions. The significant lift generation by Tipula SP underscores its potential to enhance agility and manoeuvrability in MAVs, especially within confined spaces.

Keywords: bio-inspired wing; experimental aerodynamics; analysis of variance; ANOVA; optimisation; wind tunnel.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSA.2024.142567

International Journal of Sustainable Aviation, 2024 Vol.10 No.4, pp.385 - 406

Received: 14 May 2024
Accepted: 23 Aug 2024
Published online: 08 Nov 2024 *

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