Comparison of the Effects of a Bio-inspired Flow Control Technique at Two Different Flight Regimes

What is it about?

The coverts are bird feathers that act as high lift devices capable of controlling separation and mitigating stall, thus providing birds with the adaptability needed to perform various maneuvers under different flight conditions. This study investigates the performance characteristics of a covert-inspired passive flow control flap using numerical simulations and experiments at two significantly different flight regimes. We analyze the effect of varying the flap location, hinge stiffness, and rotational inertia. The results of this study show multiple similarities across both flight regimes, including the location of the flap that improves lift the most and the fact that the flap dynamics do not alter the main vortex shedding dynamics of the flow. However, some differences were noted related to the flap dynamics, which depend on whether the flow is laminar or turbulent.

Featured Image

Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study helps improve our understanding of the physics of covert-inspired flow control, especially across different Reynolds numbers. The results of this study can guide the design of similar flow control devices to solve current challenges facing small and micro-scale UAVs.

Perspectives