Session: Poster Session

Paper Number: 147650

147650 - Design of Bionic Flapping Wing Mechanism 

Bionic Flapping Wing Mechanisms (BFWMs) are far more efficient and wing-tolerant than fixed wings. BFWMs are bird like wing designs driven by a linkage which through oscillation produces lift and thrust to fly. Design of BFWMs could aid in research, development, and production of micro air vehicles as well as other mechanisms with similar applications. They are currently used in industrial applications such as wildlife management, surveillance, military, product shipping and delivery services. The objective of this project was to design and test a bionic flapping wing mechanism. In this project, an optimized BFWM was visualized, designed, fabricated, and tested to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of the BFWM. A kinematic analysis was performed to introduce the motion of the flapping wing mechanism. Next, the optimized design was obtained by using different design concepts based on the aerodynamic performance of the BFWM. Finally, it was fabricated and tested using the force sensors to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of the mechanism by comparing it with a base model one. The study brings out a compelling case for feasibility and impact toward aerodynamic optimizations within the realm of flapping wing mechanisms. The optimization method of adjusting link lengths and angle of attack was determined successful as the optimized model exhibited a significant increase in aerodynamic efficiency as portrayed by the considerable increase in positive thrust generation.

Presenting Author: Nicholas Lambert Widener University

Presenting Author Biography: I am a senior student in Mechanical Engineering at Widener University. I will start my graduate study at Widener University in Summer 2024. I have been awarded SMART scholarship award for my graduate study.

Authors:

Timothy Armstrong Widener University
Matthew Buckely Widener University
Nicholas Lambert Widener University
Carson Reuter Widener University
Dean Shaub Widener University
Aidan Weitzel Widener University
Abbas Fattah Widener University