Micro-Air Vehicles

The School is engaged in research into 'biomimetic' technologies for Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Micro-Air Vehicle (MAV) applications. MAVs are typically less than 15cm (6in) an any dimension, and are being considered for a wide range of roles from search-and-rescue in urban environments, military surveillance and reconnaissance, to planetary exploration on Mars. Traditional aircraft designs become inefficient at very small sizes and low speeds. Birds and insects are being considered as models for flapping wing propulsion for MAVs, as the techniques used by these animals have been refined over millions of years for high efficiency. Flapping wings can also provide high manoeuvrability and the ability to hover. The aerodynamics of such low Reynolds number (small size, low speed) flight typically involves unsteady flow separation and complex vortex wake dynamics. John Young is conducting computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to find optimal flapping strategies (flapping frequencies and wing motions) for MAV applications. A number of undergraduates are also involved in building and testing designs using results from the CFD research.

Contact: John Young