MODELLING AND SIMULATION OF FLAPPING WING IN CATIA V5

Ahsan Naveed1 , Shafi Ahmad Khan2

ABSTRACT:-
We designed the mechanism of a flapping wing, similar to a bird, and simulated its wings and tail in different
configrations (with and without tail). We show that the effect of tail on flying of the flapping wing regarding
linear acceleration, linear velocity , angular acceleration and angular velocity in x, y and z axis.The design in
catiaV5 is like that we can design it physically by using one electric motor inctead of pulley and the rest
mechanism is same as in design, then it can be designed physically.Secondly, a flapping wing approach has
proven to be one of the most successful methods in designing the Micro Air Vehicle(MAVs).These small
vehicle seems to be like small birds to achieve never before seen agility in flight.This paper aims at suggestion
of flapping wing mechanisms,wing and frame design and material to be used during design of a flapping
bird.Although there are various mechanisms which are discussed uptill now but each mechanism has its own
advantages and disadvantages.The most important parameters in design of a flapping bird are weight and
drag.So with respect to these parameters this method is found to be the most important because of less
weight,simplicity and less drag.Other mechanisms are also discussed with there advantages and
disadvantages but finally this mechanism is selected and why it is selected.Then the selection of aerofoil is
done and its lift and drag terms are also being discussed.hence this paper is a great guide line in designing a
flapping bird. Following are the pictures of a flapping bird mechanism in simple shape and 3D views from
catia V5.

1-INTRODUCTION:-
For centuries there has been a great discussion and research on the design of flapping birds and insects. With
respect to maneuverability and other aspects of aerodynamic performance these flapping wings are superior
over the fixed wings. The motivation behind this work is the interest in flapping wing flight and developing
mechanisms to accomplish the required mechanical objectives, which in this case is the flapping motion. The
area of flapping wing aerodynamics is relatively new and is continuously growing. Ornithcopters can serve as
an alternative to propeller driven vehicles. Due to their resemblance with natural fliers and their
maneuverability they can be utilized for covert surveillance missions and obtaining geographical information
of difficult terrains especially when there is a potential threat to human life. They have also been utilized to
keep birds away from airports and the preservation of wildlife. Flapping wing flight is an abstruse area of
research mainly because of the unsteady aerodynamics which governs the flapping flight. The desired
performance requirements of an ornithopter stems from the features of bird flight such as good
maneuverability, low speed flight capability, agility and high propulsive efficiency. Any design of an
ornithopter must take into account the same environment as faced by medium to large sized birds i.e unsteady,
turbulent and incompressible flow field and Reynolds number
>15000. Ornithopters have been designed to mimick the motion of birds. The actual motion of the wings
involves bending, twisting, pitching, flapping and feathering and is hence impossible to recreate. Ornithcopters
aim at mimicking few aspects of these. Numerous ornithcopters have been build such as the Cybird P1
remotely controlled ornithcopter, SmartBird and Project Ornithcopter. Pioneering work has been done in this
field by James DeLaurier. Most of the successful ornithcopters involve a simple flapping mechanism with
flexible wings. The basis for most is a four bar chain. It consists of a rotating crank connected to a motor. As
the crank rotates, the connecting rods push the wings up and down. When a second wing is added and another
connecting rod is joined, it produces asymmetric flapping causing the ornithcopter to have a tendency to bend
more towards one side. To obtain symmetric flapping other mechanisms have been suggested such as the
staggered crank, outboard wing hinge, dual cranks and transverse shaft. However the mechanism suggested in
this paper offers unique advantage over the rest in terms of simplicity, weight and drag considerations,
frictional losses and symmetric flapping. A membrane type wing was incorporated in the construction of the
ornithcopter. To relieve the stresses at the highly stressed points, ribs were provided. The wing has the desired
torsional and bending flexibility. For our design we have used carbon fibre rods for their exceptional strength-
to-weight ratio and polyester sheet, as the wing surface which acts as an aero elastic surface. The stiffness of
the wing is provided by the main spar and the ribs. The wing has a semi-elliptical planform.

2-DETAILS OF DIFFERENT MECHANISMS:-

MECHANISM -1:-

The above mechanism consists of 3 gears, 2 crank rod, and 2 flapping rods. This mechanism is a complex
mechanism there is difficulty in designing gears hence as a whole it is a complex mechanism. While we have
to avoid complexity for best flapping bird mechanism design and secondly we have to increase lift to weight
ratio and also the lift to drag ratio for aerodynamic performance must be high. In this mechanism the weight
of three pulleys is more than as compared to others. Hence this mechanism has more weight and more drag
thats why we will try to avoid it. Hence this mechanism is not good because of complexity, more weight and
more drag as compared to other mechanisms as discussed below.
MECHANISM-2:-

This mechanism is slightly better than other mechanisms as discussed above. It has 3 gears and 1 connecting
rod which is also utilized for flapping purpose. Hence this mechanism will be obviously going to have less
weight and less drag and as a result high L/D and L/W ratios which desirous for design. The smaller gear in
the center is directly coupled with the motor. The bigger gears are meshed on both the sides keeping in mind
the utmost accuracy in achieving symmetry of the meshing of gears, as the littlest change in the position of the
gears will lead to the failure of the mechanism. The motor drives the central gear, which in turn drives the other
2 gears. The pushrods attached to each gear are thereby attached to the main wing spar. As the central gear
rotates, the bigger gears rotate in the opposite direction to the central gear. The trailing edge of the push rods
attached to the gears start rotating with it whereas the leading edge attached to the main wing spar produces
rocking motion. This overall mechanism results in oscillation of the wing spar, thus conveying the required
flapping motion. This mechanism gave precise motion because of presence of gears, which resulted in lesser
friction, noise and vibrations; but on the contrary the frontal area would become too large causing increased
drag making it unlikely to be feasible. Also, symmetrical balancing of the weight of the mechanism is not an
easy task making it difficult for stability and control.
(A DESIGNING APPROACH FOR A FLAPPING WING MICRO AIR VEHICLE Research
paper)
MECHANISM-3:-
The above mechanism is being replaced by one gear and 5 connecting rods including two flapping rods. So this
has more L/D and L/W ratios as compared to the previous ones. In this mechanism, the gear to the right is
coupled with the motor and drives the other gear, imparting rotational motion to the shaft attached to the latter.
The wheels are attached on both the ends of the shaft. The shaft rests on two supports attached to the frame,
thereby, creating the situation of a simply supported overhanging beam. There are two pushrods attached to
each wheels as shown in the figure. The rotation of shaft results in wheel rotation, which subsequently gives
rocking motion to the push rods, which in turn imparts flapping motion to the wings. This mechanism had
inherent advantages in terms of low frontal drag. It could be easily incorporated into the frame. Though the
mechanism was theoretically feasible but did not serve its purpose as a proof of concept. Upon implementation
and fabrication of a prototype, it was found that the flapping of both wings was not symmetrical. Also during
them experimental run, it was observed that the shaft was bending due to the weight of the wheel at both the
ends, which resulted in non-uniform motion and excessive vibration.
(A DESIGNING APPROACH FOR A FLAPPING WING MICRO AIR VEHICLE Research
paper)
MECHANISM-4:-
At the end with a lot of modifications and experiments the final mechanism is found which has following
aerodynamic and structural advantages over the other mechanisms:-
Simplicity (easy to design and manufacture)
High L/d ratio
Symmetric flapping motion
High L/W ratio
High strength to weight ratio
Less cost for manufacturing
3-DESIGN OF MECHANISM IN CATIA V5:-
The mechanism is first design in catia v5.The procedure is as follows:-
A-PART DESIGN:-
B-ASSEMBLY DESIGN:-
C- DMU KINEMATICS (SIMULATION):-
D-SIMULATION BY LAWS:-
For the purpose to study the behaviour of linear and angular acceleration and velocity we have done simulation
by law. In simulation by law the formula is entered which is
Velocity=360 Degree/second
Acceleration=360 Degree/(second)^2
Hence according to above formulas activating the sensors in simulation by law we have the response of
acceleration and velocity for 360 degree rotation of pulley per second. The analysis that is done of acceleration
and velocity will be discussed and shown in the next section.

E-ANALYSIS ACCELERATION AND VELOCITY OF JOINTS:-

LINEAR SPEED:-

LINEAR ACCELERATION:-
 ANGULAR VELOCITY:-

ANGULAR ACCELERATION:-

4-MANUFACTURING AND MECHANISM SELECTION:-

FUSELAGE OR BASIC FRAME:-
The main frame of an flapping bird is a crucial component. It is essentially used to support all the other
elements of the flapping bird like drive mechanism, wings, electronic components, tail mechanism etc. In other
mechanical constructions frame is usually designed for strength. But, while designing a frame for an aerial
vehicle, it poses certain limitations. Some limitations on the design are as follows:
strength Frame must have adequate strength to support all the components and must fulfill its
intended purpose.
Weight In designing an aerial vehicle initial calculations for calculating the lift of the vehicle are
directly related to the gross weight of the vehicle. So the frame must be designed for least weight
possible without compromising on strength.
Frontal Area Drag on an aerial vehicle is directly proportional to the frontal area. So, the frame for an
aerial vehicle should be as streamlined as possible.
 Shape By designing a flapping bird what we are necessarily doing is imitating the flight of birds.
Most applications of a flapping bird require an appearance resembling a bird. Therefore while designing
the frame, it is almost mandatory to fabricate it in the shape of a bird.
Cost Cost is one of the biggest deciding factors in selection of a material.
PULLY:-
The material used in construction of gears (both primary and auxiliary) is plastic. Selection of plastic is based
on various construction requirements as stated below:
Weight: Gears made out of plastic are much lighter in weight than metal gears. This is particularly
useful in aircraft as it ensure that lift is easily generated and also less power is consumed in doing so.
Cost: Plastic gears are, in general, cheaper to produce than metal gears.
Corrosion: Unlike metal gears, plastic gears are completely immune to corrosion.

CONNECTING RODS:-
The material used for construction of connecting rods and flapping rods is Aluminium for following reasons:
High strength to weight ratio
Corrosion resistant
Can be easily bored, milled or turned
High longitudinal stability and specific rigidity.

WING DESIGN:-
The material should be chosen such that it has high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical
resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion. To realize all such needs, Carbon Fiber UD
was chosen as the material for wing frame over steel and aluminium. The carbon fiber is used for following
reasons:
Lighter in weight and much stronger than other metals such aluminium, steel or titanium. Hence
strength to weight ratio is high.
The fatigue characteristics are also far superior to other metals.
It can be produced in more irregular shapes
Carbon Fiber has a certain natural damping quality. Vibrations are not transmitted through carbon
composites with the same fidelity as with metals.
Corrosion resistant
Wear resistant
High thermal insulation properties and low electrical conductivity. The wing membrane material
should be lightweight, flexible and at the same time high shear strength. The material used was
polyester (85% by weight of an ester and a dihydric alcohol and a terephthalic acid). It has high
strength and resistance against tearing. It is lightweight with a density of 1.3 g/cc. It is long lasting,
chemically stable and abrasion resistant. It is easily washable. Most importantly it is very cheap and
readily available.

AEROFOIL SELECTION:-
For hovering flight the flapping of the wings are basically described by two movements. As seen in the next
figure there is a horizontal motion indicated as up and down stroke. The wings have a second motion around
the span axis. This rotation changes the angle of attack and allows the fly to generate positive lift force at up
and down stroke. In order to achieve both movements the horizontal motion is controlled actively by the design
of the mechanism and the motion of the wing is accomplished by a passive rotation around the
fuselage.(Design and development of flapping wing)
Once the overall structure of the wing was decided, airfoil was selected. The most appropriate airfoil for an
ornithcopter is one that is suitable for low and medium Reynolds number flight and is relatively insensitive to
errors in angle of attack. In order to improve efficiency, a high lift to drag ratio is favored. The spar is also
responsible for providing the wing's required high bending stiffness. Thus, a good candidate spar would be a
thin, open section with a high second moment of area and a relatively simple and compact geometry to limit
construction n difficulties and ensure compatibility with the thickness of the airfoil. Finally, the selected airfoil
should be thick enough to accommodate torsionally compliant structural members.
Airfoil is no doubt heart of the flying objects. Its just the magic of airfoil that makes dead weight reach the
skies. Selecting the correct airfoil is a very complicated decision because of the impact it can have on the flying
bird performance as well as weight and manufacturing process. An airfoil selection criterion was defined and
based on that the best airfoil was picked. The three main criteria were;
(a) Maximum Lift Coefficient:
The CL max of an airfoil directly affects the stall and takeoff properties of the aircraft so high value of
maximum CL max is desired.
(b) Lift to Drag Ratio:
Maximum lift to drag ratio can be termed as aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft. Higher the value of
L/D)max, the better performance is expected out of an aircraft
(c) Maximum Thickness:
The thickness doesnt only define the stall behavior but also adds to the weight of the wings; hence
reasonably thick airfoil had to be selected.
CHARACTERISTICS OF NACA-6414:-
Data for NACA-6414 is taken from internet.
MAX CL 1.9042
MAX CL ANGLE 14
MAX L/D 56.2
MAX L/D ANGLE 5.2
STALL ANGLE 17
THICKNESS 14%
AEROFOIL ANALYSIS:-
Since the NACA 6414 airfoils data was collected from internet sources, it was decided to
analyze the airfoil using numerical and computational techniques. Initial testing was carried out
utilizing XLFR 5 software that uses panel method (potential flow solver with viscosity) to
evaluate the lift curve slope, drag polar and pressure distribution of the airfoil.
5-AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS:-
AEROFOIL:-
Since the viscous effects could not be defined in the panel method accurately, validation
of CL max of the airfoil was carried out by CFD analysis. Basic CFD analysis were
carried out at different AoA in Flow Simulation module of SolidWorks software. The
airfoil was simulated at cruise speed of 50ft/sec and sea level conditions. CFD contours
from Flow Simulation along with computed aerodynamic characteristics of NACA 6414
airfoil are given below:-
Total Pressure Contour at 0 AoA, Cruise using Flow Simulation:-

Velocity Contour at 0 AoA, Cruise using Flow Simulation:-

Total Pressure Contour at 5 AoA, Cruise using Flow Simulation:-

Velocity Contour at 5 AoA, Cruise using Flow Simulation:-

Results calculated from CFD analysis are:-

ANGLE OF ATTACK CL CD CM
0 deg 0.610 0.023 -0.145
5 deg 1.120 0.029 -0.136
FLAPPING BIRD:-

6-CONCLUSION:-
In this paper we have discussed various aspects of designing an ornithopter. Parts of
ornithopter like frame, flapping mechanism and wing design have been discussed in
detail. The basic understanding about the flapping wing flight of birds was then applied
in designing of an ornithopter. Important issues regarding the design criteria for various
parts of an ornithopter have been presented. Various alternatives were first designed
using a suitable design software and there features were reviewed. Suitable
improvements in design were implemented afterwards. Four flapping mechanisms have
been suggested and each one has its own characteristics. We have also discussed the
complexities of wing design. Carbon fiber has been recommended for wing skeleton
after studying its mechanical properties while polyester has been advocated, for wing
membrane. We have also investigated about NACA 6414 airfoil and its viability for
ornithopters. Analysis on the airfoil was carried out using Java Foil. It is a simple
lightweight program for studying airfoil characteristics.
The goal of this thesis was to develop a MAV capable of hovering flight. The focus was
also in the improvement in wing design and controllability. This goals were, except of
the controllability, fully reached. The chosen mechanism for turning rotation of the DC-
motors into a flapping movement of the wings is accurate and leads to error free
functioning. By decreasing the amplitude even smoother behavior of the motor can be
expected.
Concluding it can be said that the flapping wing MAV designed and developed in this
paper is capable of hovering flight. Yet it is not controlled and yields to torque in the
pitch and roll axis. The gained knowledge can be used for further improvements and
opens the way toward an autonomous flapping wing MAV.
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