Design and fabrication of vibrator-activated wing flappers

• Main Author: Goh, Chen Lieng.
• Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Aeronautical engineering::Aircraft
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45211
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Flight capabilities of natural fliers are unparalleled by any man-made flying machines. Complex flight mechanisms and impressive flight manoeuvrability achieved by birds and insects provide good foundations, basis and insights to creating a synthetic equivalent for the development of flapping wing Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). Currently, traditional modes of actuation which uses motors and gears are being used in MAV designs. Usage of motors and gears give rise to frictional losses. Other forms of actuation often involve high power requirements, creating payload issues. In this project, a vibrator actuated MAV inspired by nature's flight mechanism was proposed. Thorax design of insects are simplified and imitated in this design. In nature, two side walls of the thorax acts as pivot points for the connection between the tergum and wing, creating hinged mechanisms. It is similar to a “see-saw”, but is pivoted at two points instead of one. Between the two pivot points is where the tergum lies and the wings are connected to the tergum but located beyond the pivot points. Essentially, when a force is applied to one end of a pivoted bar (the tergum), the other end of the bar (the wing) moves in opposite direction to the applied force, generating wing motion. The design considered in this project makes uses of double thorax system to accommodate four wings, similar to that of a dragonfly insect. The design comprises of two hinged mechanism placed in parallel, allowing differentiated movement of the front and back tergum. This design involves usage of compliant joints which does not have moving parts and hence reduces frictional losses. By having a thorax that can accommodate four wings, wing wake interactions and clap and fling mechanisms which are nature‟s energy conservation methods can be incorporated to help improve efficiencies.