The Effect of Damping Coefficient, Spring Coefficient, and Mass Ratio on the Power Extraction Performance of a Semiactive Flapping Wing

Abstract EN

The effect of varying damping coefficient C∗, spring coefficient K∗, and mass ratio M∗ on the semiactive flapping wing power extraction performance was numerically studied in this paper.

A numerical code based on Finite Volume method to solve the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations and coupled with Finite Center Difference method to solve the passive plunging motion equation is developed.

At a Reynolds number of 3400 and the pitching axis at quarter chord from the leading edge of the wing, the power extraction performance of the semiactive flapping wing with different damping coefficient, spring coefficient, and mass ratio is systematically investigated.

The optimal set of spring coefficient is found at a value of 1.00.

However, the variation of mass ratio M∗ cannot increase the maximum mean power coefficient and power efficiency, but it can influence the value of damping coefficient C∗ at which the wing achieves the maximum mean power coefficient and power efficiency.

Moreover, insensitivity of the mean power coefficient and power efficiency to the variation of damping coefficient C∗ is observed for the wing with smaller mass ratio, which indicates the wing with smaller M∗ has better working stability.