The proposed research is a computational study of insect flight, a problem which has been studied mostly by experimental means heretofore. Unlike aerodynamics of conventional wings, the present problem deals with flow over flexible wings at low Reynolds numbers. It is always unsteady, involves simultaneous generation of lift and thrust by the wing, and strong interactions between the large vortices shed from the leading edge and the rest of the wing. The PI proposes to carry out the simulation by using the Submerged Boundary Method and vortex dynamics models. Successful methods developed for biomimetics will be useful for simulating aerodynamics of micro air vehicles.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2001-02-01
Budget End
2007-01-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$381,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Cornell University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Ithaca
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14850