Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/M78472/01
Title:	FLAPPING FLIGHT AERODYNAMICS OF AUTONOMOUS MICRO AIR VEHICLES
Principal Investigator:	Knowles, Professor K
Other Investigators:	Zbikowski, Professor R Ellington, Professor C Szmelter, Professor J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	QinetiQ Westland
Department:	Aerospace Power & Sensors
Organisation:	Cranfield University
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 2000	Ends:	30 September 2003	Value (£):	212,779
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Aerodynamics
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The novel aerodynamic concept of a flapping wing micro air vehicle (MAV) will be investigated. Autonomous MAVs will be useful for low-speed, agile flying in confined spaces, unlikely to be attained using conventional fixed or rotary wings. This multi-disciplinary project is aimed at producing design guidelines for controllable flapping wings, taking inspiration from insect flight. One of the proposers (Ellington) has shown that in flapping flight, insect wings produce high lift due to the spiral leading-edge vortex created by dynamic stall. This unsteady, but laminar, phenomenon will be used for MAV flapping wings design. This project will be based on four complementary approaches: modified blade element theory (for the steady flow contribution), a modified unsteady helicopter blade model (for rapi design and insight), advanced CFD tools (for detailed flow analysis) and experimental testing (for validation). This last will be done at Cambridge on three existing experimental rigs and a fourth to be built specifically for this project. The unsteady aerodynamic analysis will initially use an unsteady code supplied by GWHL. The main analysis will be based on Shrivenham's advanced CFD capabilities. The results of these analyses will be used to formulate wing design guidelines, including consideration of control requirements.
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Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.cranfield.ac.uk