Aerodynamic equilibria and flight stability of plates at intermediate Reynolds numbers

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Pomerenk, Olivia, Ristroph, Leif
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Pomerenk, Olivia
Ristroph, Leif
author_facet Pomerenk, Olivia
Ristroph, Leif
contents The passive flight of a thin wing or plate is an archetypal problem in flow-structure interactions at intermediate Reynolds numbers. This seemingly simple aerodynamic system displays an impressive variety of steady and unsteady motions that are familiar from fluttering leaves, tumbling seeds and gliding paper planes. Here, we explore the space of flight behaviors using a nonlinear dynamical model rooted in a quasi-steady description of the fluid forces. Efficient characterization is achieved by identification of the key dimensionless parameters, assessment of the steady equilibrium states, and linear analysis of their stability. The structure and organization of the stable and unstable flight equilibria proves to be complex, and seemingly related factors such as mass and buoyancy-corrected weight play distinct roles in determining the eventual flight patterns. The nonlinear model successfully reproduces previously documented unsteady states such as fluttering and tumbling while also predicting new types of motions, and the linear analysis accurately accounts for the stability of steady states such as gliding and diving. While the conditions for dynamic stability seem to lack tidy formulas that apply universally, we identify relations that hold in certain regimes and which offer mechanistic interpretations. The generality of the model and the richness of its solution space suggest implications for small-scale aerodynamics and related applications in biological and robotic flight.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_08864
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Aerodynamic equilibria and flight stability of plates at intermediate Reynolds numbers
Pomerenk, Olivia
Ristroph, Leif
Fluid Dynamics
The passive flight of a thin wing or plate is an archetypal problem in flow-structure interactions at intermediate Reynolds numbers. This seemingly simple aerodynamic system displays an impressive variety of steady and unsteady motions that are familiar from fluttering leaves, tumbling seeds and gliding paper planes. Here, we explore the space of flight behaviors using a nonlinear dynamical model rooted in a quasi-steady description of the fluid forces. Efficient characterization is achieved by identification of the key dimensionless parameters, assessment of the steady equilibrium states, and linear analysis of their stability. The structure and organization of the stable and unstable flight equilibria proves to be complex, and seemingly related factors such as mass and buoyancy-corrected weight play distinct roles in determining the eventual flight patterns. The nonlinear model successfully reproduces previously documented unsteady states such as fluttering and tumbling while also predicting new types of motions, and the linear analysis accurately accounts for the stability of steady states such as gliding and diving. While the conditions for dynamic stability seem to lack tidy formulas that apply universally, we identify relations that hold in certain regimes and which offer mechanistic interpretations. The generality of the model and the richness of its solution space suggest implications for small-scale aerodynamics and related applications in biological and robotic flight.
title Aerodynamic equilibria and flight stability of plates at intermediate Reynolds numbers
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.08864