Effects of Plunging Acceleration on the Passive Morphing of Avian-Inspired Flexible Foils

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Saddal, Hibah, Jayswal, Lucky Babu, Bose, Chandan
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Saddal, Hibah
Jayswal, Lucky Babu
Bose, Chandan
author_facet Saddal, Hibah
Jayswal, Lucky Babu
Bose, Chandan
contents This study investigates the dynamics of passively morphing foils under accelerated plunging, establishing mechanistic links between transient kinematics, structural compliance, and aerodynamic performance. Two-way coupled simulations are performed for three wing geometries: a symmetric NACA0012 foil and two bio-inspired geometries based on falcon and owl wing sections, across non-dimensional bending rigidity values, chordwise flexible segment extents from the trailing-edge (25%, 50%, and 75%), and transition speed parameters. The present findings reveal that flexible trailing-edge configurations exhibit improved aerodynamic performance relative to stiffer foils, and the aerodynamic benefit of trailing-edge compliance is strongly influenced by wing geometry. A geometry-specific optimal bending stiffness exists beyond which additional flexibility degrades performance. The extent of the chordwise flexible segment critically governs the aeroelastic response. Whilst a 25% flexible segment produces behaviour indistinguishable from a rigid wing, extending flexibility to 75% of the chord induces highly unsteady lift fluctuations, particularly for the NACA0012 foil, for which the root-mean-square lift coefficient increases sharply. The bio-inspired foils, in contrast, exhibit a moderate reduction in root-mean-square lift coefficient for the 50% and 75% cases, reflecting the stabilising influence of their cambered geometry. Increasing the transition speed parameter monotonically amplifies trailing-edge deflection, strengthens the leading- and trailing-edge vortices, and intensifies the coupling between structural deformation and instantaneous lift. These findings provide new physical insight into bio-inspired propulsion and manoeuvring strategies, with implications for the design of passively adaptive lifting surfaces in unsteady environments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_27794
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Effects of Plunging Acceleration on the Passive Morphing of Avian-Inspired Flexible Foils
Saddal, Hibah
Jayswal, Lucky Babu
Bose, Chandan
Fluid Dynamics
This study investigates the dynamics of passively morphing foils under accelerated plunging, establishing mechanistic links between transient kinematics, structural compliance, and aerodynamic performance. Two-way coupled simulations are performed for three wing geometries: a symmetric NACA0012 foil and two bio-inspired geometries based on falcon and owl wing sections, across non-dimensional bending rigidity values, chordwise flexible segment extents from the trailing-edge (25%, 50%, and 75%), and transition speed parameters. The present findings reveal that flexible trailing-edge configurations exhibit improved aerodynamic performance relative to stiffer foils, and the aerodynamic benefit of trailing-edge compliance is strongly influenced by wing geometry. A geometry-specific optimal bending stiffness exists beyond which additional flexibility degrades performance. The extent of the chordwise flexible segment critically governs the aeroelastic response. Whilst a 25% flexible segment produces behaviour indistinguishable from a rigid wing, extending flexibility to 75% of the chord induces highly unsteady lift fluctuations, particularly for the NACA0012 foil, for which the root-mean-square lift coefficient increases sharply. The bio-inspired foils, in contrast, exhibit a moderate reduction in root-mean-square lift coefficient for the 50% and 75% cases, reflecting the stabilising influence of their cambered geometry. Increasing the transition speed parameter monotonically amplifies trailing-edge deflection, strengthens the leading- and trailing-edge vortices, and intensifies the coupling between structural deformation and instantaneous lift. These findings provide new physical insight into bio-inspired propulsion and manoeuvring strategies, with implications for the design of passively adaptive lifting surfaces in unsteady environments.
title Effects of Plunging Acceleration on the Passive Morphing of Avian-Inspired Flexible Foils
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.27794