PROJECT TITLE :

An Electromagnetic Actuator for High-Frequency Flapping-Wing Microair Vehicles

ABSTRACT:

An electromagnetic actuator weighing 2.half dozen g and operated up to resonant frequencies in excess of seventy Hz is presented with the meant application to flapping-wing MAVs. Comprised of one electromagnetic coil, a permanent magnet rotor, and a “virtual spring” magnet try, system resonance is achieved employing a periodic excitation voltage applied to the coil, ensuing in harmonic wing motion. Analytical models describing the electrodynamic interactions of system parts and flapping-wing aerodynamic mechanisms are used to develop the equations governing the system's dynamics. Preliminary analysis based on simulation is used to make a working prototype from that additional validation is conducted. Wing kinematics and mean lift measurements from the prototype demonstrated a carry-to-weight ratio of over one at twenty four V. Based on a simplified equation of motion, approximate solutions for primary resonance mode and peak-to-peak (pk-pk) stroke amplitude were determined using the method of multiple time scales. Validated from frequency response experiments conducted on bioinspired test wings, these approximate solutions are used as a basis for an optimization framework. Finally, the developed framework is employed to investigate the performance of the proposed actuator at different scales, predicting raise-to-weight ratios well higher than one for a big selection of the parameter area.