Mostafa Hassanalian

Theoretical analysis and experimental verification for sizing of flapping wing micro air vehicles

To design efficient flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs), a comprehensive sizing method based on theoretical and statistical analyses is proposed and experimentally verified. This method is composed of five steps including defining and analyzing the MAV mission, determining the flying modes, defining the wing shape and aspect ratio of the wing, applying the constraint analysis based on the defined mission, and estimating the weights of the electrical and structural components the bio-inspired flapping wing micro air vehicle. To define the vehicle mission and flight plan, path analysis is performed based on the defined mission, the speed of cruise and turning, the turning radius and climatic conditions in the flight area. Following the defined mission analysis, the appropriate modes of flying for the flapping wing bird are recognized. After that, the wing shape and the wing aspect ratio are determined based on the defined flight modes. To estimate the wing loading, a constraint analysis is exploited. Along with the four listed steps, statistical method is employed to estimate the FWMAV weight. Based on the proposed method for wing sizing of flapping wings, a FWMAV named Thunder I has been designed, fabricated, and tested. This developed methodology is very beneficial by giving guidelines for the design of efficient bioinspired FWMAVs.

Design and manufacture of a fixed wing MAV with zimmerman planform

A comprehensive method is used to design and manufacture a fixed wing micro air vehicle (MAV) with Zimmerman planform. The design process includes four stages which are the specification of the flight mission, determination of the best aspect ratio, identification of the optimum wing loading, and estimation of the weight of the structural components of the MAV. To this end, various statistical and analytical methods are utilized. Based on an aerodynamic analysis, the results show that an optimum aspect ratio that maximizes the performance of the Zimmerman MAV for a well-defined cruise speed is determined. Considering six possible flights, a constraint analysis is performed and an optimum wing loading value is found. Using the 3D panel method, the determination of the shape of the reflexed airfoil for the MAV is successfully done by minimizing the drag force and the angle of attack to use less powerful motor and avoid any stall effect, respectively. During test flight, the results show that the designed Zimmerman MAV satisfies the predefined specification. The final characteristics of the manufactured MAV are: wingspan of 44 centimeters, weight of 450 grams, aspect ratio of 1.51, cruise speed of 20m/s, and flight endurance of 20 minutes.