Comparison of propulsion efficiency and power extraction of bio inspired flapping airfoil and NACA 0015

In this research, pitching and plunging motion of bio inspired and NACA airfoil are simulated numerically and the effects of reduced frequency, pitching and plunging amplitude on aerodynamic coefficients, power-extraction and propulsion efficiency are investigated and compared with each other. The simulation is done at Reynolds number of 1100 which is correspond to insect flight regime, using dynamic mesh capability of OpenFoam and fluid flow is assumed unsteady, viscous and laminar. In order to computation of fluid flow field, control volume method is used and value of variables store at the center of control volume. Reduced frequency, plunging and pitching amplitudes vary between 0.05-0.5, 0.25-1.75, 15-75 respectively and phase difference between pitching and plunging motion is kept constant at 90 degrees. Comparison of result with published data confirms the validation of research. Combination of different motion parameter such as reduced frequency, pitching and plunging amplitudes determine that bio inspired airfoil acting in power-extraction (fluid works on the airfoil), propulsion (airfoil works on the fluid) or feather (no producing power or propulsion) regime, and qualitatively is the same as NACA airfoil. The obtained results shows that with variation of reduced frequency, pitching and plunging amplitudes, whatever close to the feathering regime, bio inspired airfoil shows higher efficiency than NACA airfoil and vice versa.