Modeling of a flapping wing aerial vehicle using a recursive multibody system approach

Abstract

In this paper, we present the dynamic modeling of a flapping wing aerial vehicle (FWAV) using a recursive approach based on the Newton-Euler formalism. The main goal is to develop an efficient and accurate dynamic model of a flapping wing drone that allows improving the understanding and simulation of its flight dynamics. The aerial vehicle is considered as a tree-type floating base multibody system with four parts: the main body, the right wing, the left wing and a tail. Each wing is attached to the main body through a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DoF) joint, allowing rotational and flapping motion. The geometric configuration of this model is represented using Khalil-Kleinfinger parameters, and a recursive Newton-Euler formalism is employed to model the involved complex nonlinear dynamics of the system. The flapping motion of the wing, and its interaction with the surrounding air produce both lift and forward thrust, enabling the flight of this FWAV. The main conclusions are that the recursive Newton-Euler approach offers a computationally effective solution and an accurate description of the dynamics involved in FWAVs.