A flapping-wing aircraft test device

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft testing, and discloses a flapping-wing aircraft testing device, which includes a support frame and a rotating arm. The upper end of the support frame is connected to a rotating shaft through a rotating mechanism. The upper end of the rotating shaft is connected with a rocker arm. One end of the rotating arm is rotatably connected to the rocker arm, and the angle of the rotating arm is adjusted through a limiting mechanism. The other end of the rotating arm is provided with a fixing frame, and an angle adjustment device for installing a flapping-wing aircraft is arranged on the fixing frame, and a sensor is arranged on the angle adjustment device. The flapping-wing aircraft testing device provided by the present invention can adjust the flight angle of attack of the flapping-wing aircraft, ensure the initial angle between the wings of the flapping-wing aircraft and the horizontal plane, and can conduct the test of the flapping-wing flight of the flapping-wing aircraft around the axis, which is convenient for the R & D personnel to directly observe the flight situation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft testing, and particularly to a test device for a bird-like flapping-wing aircraft. Background Art

[0002] A flapping-wing aircraft is a new type of bionic aircraft that imitates flying creatures in nature such as birds, insects, and bats and uses a flapping-wing method for flight. It generates the lift and thrust required for flight through the active movement of the wings. Compared with rotor and fixed-wing aircraft, flapping-wing aircraft have the advantages of easy control, high reliability, strong concealment, and low noise, and have a broader application prospect in military and civilian fields.

[0003] The aerodynamic principle of a flapping-wing aircraft is different from that of a fixed-wing or rotor aircraft, so a unique test device is required. When testing a flapping-wing aircraft, field flight tests or wind tunnel tests are generally used for measurement and recording. In addition, there are also some test devices for flapping-wing aircraft.

[0004] However, field flight tests are greatly affected by environmental disturbances, with high test costs and high damage rates. Wind tunnel tests require wind tunnel equipment, which is expensive.

[0005] Moreover, existing test devices are mostly developed for micro flapping-wing aircraft and are not suitable for large bird-like flapping-wing aircraft. They often use the method of fixed-point body and flapping wings in place for testing (such as CN202010769337.4), which cannot intuitively reflect the real flight situation of the flapping-wing aircraft. There are also individual test benches for bird-like aircraft that can perform flapping-wing flight around an axis, but their initial test angle is that the wings are perpendicular to the ground. To achieve normal flapping-wing flight, a very high lift requirement is imposed on the flapping-wing aircraft, which is not very suitable for the trial-and-error test stage of the flapping-wing aircraft.

[0006] In addition, there are also some inventions of adjustable flapping-wing aircraft force measurement platforms (such as patent CN201811097316.1), which measure the forces and torques of the pose of the flapping-wing aircraft at different pitch angles by controlling the servo angle to adjust the position of the flapping-wing aircraft body, and can adapt to flapping-wing aircraft of different sizes. However, its angle adjustment mechanism includes a connecting frame, a servo motor, and a turntable frame, with a relatively complex structure; and the test method is also flapping in place, which is not conducive to intuitive observation by R & D personnel. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a test device for a flapping-wing aircraft, which can adjust the flight attack angle of the flapping-wing aircraft, ensure the initial angle between the wings of the flapping-wing aircraft and the horizontal plane, and can perform the test of flapping-wing flight around an axis of the flapping-wing aircraft, facilitating intuitive observation of the flight situation by R & D personnel.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is:

[0009] A flapping-wing aircraft testing device, comprising a support frame and a rotating arm. The upper end of the support frame is connected to a rotating shaft through a rotating mechanism. The upper end of the rotating shaft is connected with a rocker arm. One end of the rotating arm is rotatably connected to the rocker arm, and the angle of the rotating arm is adjusted through a limiting mechanism. The other end of the rotating arm is provided with a fixing frame, and an angle adjusting device for installing a flapping-wing aircraft is arranged on the fixing frame, and a sensor is arranged on the angle adjusting device.

[0010] Preferably, the rotating mechanism comprises two oppositely arranged mounting plates. The mounting plate located below is connected to the support frame. A driving motor is arranged on any one of the mounting plates, and the lower end of the rotating shaft is respectively connected to the mounting plate and the driving motor.

[0011] Preferably, bearings are arranged on the mounting plates, the lower end of the rotating shaft is respectively sleeved in the two bearings, a driven pulley is arranged on the rotating shaft between the two bearings, a driving pulley is arranged on the driving motor, and the driving pulley and the driven pulley are connected by a belt.

[0012] Preferably, the rocker arm comprises a horizontal pipe and an inclined pipe connected to each other. The horizontal pipe is connected to the rotating shaft, and the inclined pipe is connected to the rotating arm. The included angle between the inclined pipe and the horizontal pipe is 40-50°.

[0013] Preferably, the length from the end where the horizontal pipe is connected to the inclined pipe to the rotating shaft is L1, and the length of the other part of the horizontal pipe is L2, and L1=(1.05-1.02)L2.

[0014] Preferably, a connecting rod is arranged at one end of the rocker arm connected to the rotating arm. The rotating arm is two oppositely arranged rotating rods. The upper ends of the two rotating rods are respectively connected to the two ends of the connecting rod, and the lower ends of the two rotating rods are respectively connected to the two ends of the fixing frame.

[0015] Preferably, the limiting mechanism comprises sliders slidably connected to the rotating rods. A first rocker is connected between the two sliders, and a second rocker is hinged between the first rocker and the rocker arm.

[0016] Preferably, the limiting mechanism is a limiting rod. The limiting rod is arranged at the end of the rocker arm in parallel with the connecting rod. Support blocks are arranged at both ends of the limiting rod. When the rotating arm rotates to a fixed angle, the rotating rod abuts against the support block.

[0017] Preferably, the angle adjustment device includes a connecting plate and an adjustment plate which are oppositely arranged. The connecting plate is arranged above the adjustment plate for installing the flapping-wing aircraft. One end of the adjustment plate is hinged to the fixed frame, the other end of the adjustment plate is connected to the fixed frame by a bolt, and a spring is sleeved on the bolt between the adjustment plate and the fixed frame.

[0018] Preferably, the angle adjustment device includes a connecting plate and an adjustment plate which are oppositely arranged. The connecting plate is arranged above the adjustment plate for installing the flapping-wing aircraft. One end of the adjustment plate is hinged to the fixed frame, and a first support is provided at the other end of the adjustment plate. A second support is movably arranged on the fixed frame, and an adjusting rod is hinged at a right angle between the first support and the second support.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the flapping-wing aircraft testing device according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following beneficial effects: By arranging an angle adjustment device on the fixed frame to install the flapping-wing aircraft, the flight attack angle of the aircraft can be changed for flight testing to find the optimal flight attack angle. By adjusting the angle of the rotating arm through the mechanism, the initial angle between the wings of the flapping-wing aircraft and the horizontal plane can be guaranteed, facilitating the flapping-wing aircraft to freely lift upward by the lift generated by itself until the horizontal position. At the same time, during the test, the flapping-wing aircraft flies around the rotating shaft, and the test process is visually observable. The sensor can obtain the most important data (lift, thrust) of the flapping-wing aircraft, facilitating the R & D personnel to master the basic flight performance of the flapping-wing aircraft and make adjustments to the structure and design according to the test feedback, thereby reducing the R & D difficulty and shortening the R & D cycle. The structure of the present invention is simple, has a good use effect, and is easy to promote and use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the flapping-wing aircraft testing device of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the rotating mechanism of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the middle limiting mechanism of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the first embodiment of the angle adjustment device of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the second embodiment of the angle adjustment device of the present invention

[0025] Wherein: 1 - support frame, 2 - rotating arm, 3 - rotating shaft, 4 - rocker arm, 5 - fixed frame, 6 - mounting plate, 7 - driving motor, 8 - bearing, 9 - pulley, 10 - horizontal pipe, 11 - inclined pipe, 12 - connecting rod, 13 - first rocker, 14 - second rocker, 15 - limiting rod, 16 - connecting plate, 17 - adjusting plate, 18 - bolt, 19 - spring, 20 - adjusting rod, 100 - flapping-wing aircraft. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] The following combines the accompanying drawings and embodiments to further describe in detail the specific implementation manners of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0027] As Figures 1-5 shown, a flapping-wing aircraft test device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a support frame 1 and a rotating arm 2. The support frame 1 is preferably a triangular support frame, which is not only stable but also has a small footprint. The upper end of the support frame 1 is connected to a rotating shaft 3 through a rotating mechanism. The upper end of the rotating shaft 3 is connected to a rocker arm 4. One end of the rotating arm 2 is rotatably connected to the rocker arm 4, and the angle of the rotating arm 2 is adjusted through a limiting mechanism. The other end of the rotating arm 2 is provided with a fixed frame 5, and an angle adjustment device for installing the flapping-wing aircraft 100 is provided on the fixed frame 5, and a sensor is provided on the angle adjustment device. The sensor is a three-component sensor, which is used to measure the forces in three directions (xyz) of the body coordinate system of the flapping-wing aircraft 100, and can obtain the lift and thrust data of the aircraft.

[0028] Based on the above technical features, the flapping-wing aircraft test device can change the flight angle of attack of the aircraft for flight tests by installing the flapping-wing aircraft 100 on the fixed frame 5 through an angle adjustment device, so as to find the optimal flight angle of attack. By adjusting the angle of the rotating arm through the mechanism, the initial angle between the wings of the flapping-wing aircraft 100 and the horizontal plane can be guaranteed, facilitating the flapping-wing aircraft 100 to freely lift upward by the lift generated by itself until the horizontal position. At the same time, during the test process, the flapping-wing aircraft 100 flies around the rotating shaft 3, the test process is intuitive and visible, and the sensor can obtain the most important data (lift, thrust) of the flapping-wing aircraft 100, facilitating the R & D personnel to master the basic flight performance of the flapping-wing aircraft 100 and make adjustments to the structure and design according to the test feedback, thereby reducing the R & D difficulty and shortening the R & D cycle. The structure of the present invention is simple, has good use effects, and is easy to promote and use.

[0029] Please refer to the attached Figure 2, in this embodiment, the rotating mechanism includes two oppositely arranged mounting plates 6, and the two mounting plates 6 are fixedly connected to each other. The lower mounting plate 6 is connected to the support frame 1, and a driving motor 7 is provided on any one of the mounting plates 6. Preferably, the driving motor 7 is provided on the upper mounting plate 6. The lower end of the rotating shaft 3 is respectively connected to the mounting plate 6 and the driving motor 7. The driving mechanism can give the initial speed required by the flapping-wing aircraft 100 at the start of the test. Through the drive of the motor, it drives the rotation of the rotating shaft 3, thereby driving the aircraft. At the same time, the rotation speed of the driving motor 7 can be displayed in real time through the control board. By precisely adjusting the rotation speed of the driving motor 7, the rotational angular velocity of the test device can be controlled, and thus the airspeed (relative air movement speed) of the flapping-wing aircraft 100 on the test device can be simulated.

[0030] At the same time, to facilitate the rotation of the rotating shaft 3, bearings 8 are provided on the mounting plate 6. The lower end of the rotating shaft 3 is respectively sleeved in the two bearings 8. A passive pulley is provided on the rotating shaft 3 between the two bearings 8, and an active pulley is provided on the driving motor 7. The active pulley and the passive pulley are connected by a belt 9. Thus, under the action of the belt 9, the passive pulley drives the active pulley to rotate. The pulley can also be replaced with a gear or a sprocket.

[0031] The rotating shaft 3 is a hollow steel shaft shell with a carbon fiber tube as the inner core, ensuring sufficient stiffness and straightness, and capable of supporting the aircraft to rotate and fly with flapping wings around the axis.

[0032] In this embodiment, the rocker arm 4 includes a horizontal tube 10 and an inclined tube 11 connected to each other. The horizontal tube 10 is connected to the rotating shaft 3, and the inclined tube 11 is connected to the rotating arm 2. The included angle between the inclined tube 11 and the horizontal tube 10 is 40 - 50° (the angle when the horizontal tube is horizontal). Preferably, the included angle between the inclined tube 11 and the horizontal tube 10 is 45°.

[0033] At the same time, the length from the end where the horizontal tube 10 and the inclined tube 11 are connected to the rotating shaft 3 is L1, and the length of the other part of the horizontal tube 11 is L2., L1 = (1.05 - 1.02)L2. That is, the connecting end of the horizontal tube 10 and the inclined tube 11 is slightly longer, which can not only ensure a sufficient flight radius but also facilitate weight balancing. When the inclined tube 11 is connected to the rotating arm 2, select any one counterweight (weighing about 1.5 kg) and place it at the other end of the horizontal tube, which can make the force on the rotating shaft 3 more balanced.

[0034] In this embodiment, a connecting rod 12 is provided at one end of the rocker arm 4 that connects to the rotating arm 2. The rotating arm 2 is composed of two relatively arranged rotating rods. The upper ends of the two rotating rods are respectively connected to the two ends of the connecting rod 12, and the lower ends of the two rotating rods are respectively connected to the two ends of the fixed frame 5. On the premise that the flapping-wing aircraft 100 has sufficient lift, it can support the upward lift of the flapping-wing aircraft 100 when flying around the axis.

[0035] In this embodiment, the limiting mechanism includes sliders slidably connected to the rotating rods. A first rocker 13 is connected between the two sliders. A second rocker 14 is hinged between the first rocker 13 and the cross tube 10 of the rocker arm 4. By sliding the sliders, the angles of the two rockers can be changed, restricting the angle between the rotating arm 2 and the horizontal plane, and further restricting the initial angle between the wings of the flapping-wing aircraft and the horizontal plane. At the same time, the restricted angle can be adjusted, either upward or downward. Upward limiting can reduce the probability of collision damage, and downward limiting is beneficial for the flapping-wing aircraft to flap more naturally.

[0036] Please refer to the attached Figure 3 , in another embodiment of the present invention, the limiting mechanism is a limiting rod 15. The limiting rod 15 is arranged in parallel with the connecting rod 12 at the end of the rocker arm 4 (i.e., the end of the inclined tube 11 away from the cross tube 10). Support blocks are provided at both ends of the limiting rod 15. When the rotating arm 2 rotates to a fixed angle (this angle is determined by the angle of the inclined rod, preferably 45°), the rotating rod abuts against the support block. That is, when the rotating arm 2 rotates downward to 45°, it can be supported by the support block, thereby restricting the angle between the rotating arm 2 and the horizontal plane to be 45° or more.

[0037] In this embodiment, the fixed frame 5 is a long strip carbon fiber board in a box structure, with stud mounting holes left in the middle. The box structure can reduce the excessive torsion of the fixed frame and the rocker, ensuring the accuracy of the test.

[0038] Please refer to the attached Figure 4, in this embodiment (Embodiment 1), the angle adjustment device includes a connecting plate 16 and an adjustment plate 17 which are oppositely arranged, and the connecting plate 16 is fixed to the adjustment plate 17. The connecting plate 16 is arranged above the adjustment plate 17 for installing the flapping-wing aircraft 100 and the sensor. The fuselage of the flapping-wing aircraft 100 has reserved holes and is connected to the connecting plate 16 by screws. One end of the adjustment plate 17 is hinged to the fixed frame 5 (hinged by a hinge), and the other end of the adjustment plate 17 is connected to the fixed frame 5 by a bolt 18, and a spring 19 is sleeved on the bolt 18 between the adjustment plate 17 and the fixed frame 5. When it is necessary to adjust the angle of the aircraft, just turn the nut on the bolt 18, so as to compress or relax the spring 19, realize the adjustment of the angle of the adjustment plate 17, and then adjust the flight angle of attack of the flapping-wing aircraft 100 (the adjustable angle range is 1-10°).

[0039] Please refer to the appendix Figure 5 , in another embodiment of the present invention (Embodiment 2), the angle adjustment device includes a connecting plate 16 and an adjustment plate 17 which are oppositely arranged. The connecting plate 16 is arranged above the adjustment plate 17 for installing the flapping-wing aircraft 100. One end of the adjustment plate 17 is hinged to the fixed frame 5, and a first support is provided at the other end of the adjustment plate 17. A second support is movably arranged on the fixed frame 5, and an adjusting rod 20 is hinged at a right angle between the first support and the second support. When it is necessary to adjust the angle of the aircraft, just move the second support, so as to change the angle of the adjusting rod 20, realize the adjustment of the angle of the adjustment plate 17, and then adjust the flight angle of attack of the flapping-wing aircraft 100.

[0040] The test process of the test device is as follows:

[0041] Fix the fuselage of the flapping-wing aircraft on the connecting plate 16 with screws, and confirm the limiting device (in Embodiment 1, the initial angle between the wing and the horizontal plane is set by a slider, and in Embodiment 2, it is not necessary to set).

[0042] Turn on the switch of the flapping-wing aircraft 100.

[0043] Start the driving motor 7, the rotating shaft rotates, and gives the flapping-wing aircraft 100 an initial takeoff speed.

[0044] The flapping-wing aircraft 100 flaps its wings, flies around the rotating shaft 3, relies on the lift of the wings to raise the rotating arm, and the fuselage gradually becomes horizontal and is in a normal flight state.

[0045] The sensor records the flight data of the aircraft, and at the same time, the R & D personnel can directly observe the flight situation of the flapping-wing aircraft.

[0046] When necessary, adjust the angle of the adjustment plate 17, change the flight angle of attack of the flapping-wing aircraft 100, and repeat the above operations.

[0047] Compared with wind tunnel tests and prototype flight tests, the test bench structure provided by the present invention is simple, occupies a small area, and has low costs. In the initial stage of flight tests, sufficient flight lift and thrust data can be obtained without causing damage to the aircraft itself, so as to evaluate the basic flight performance of the flapping-wing aircraft. At the same time, the present invention basically adopts a mechanical structure, which is simple and durable; for large-scale bird-like flapping-wing aircraft, the test bench is relatively light (the test stand is only about 2 kg), occupies a small area (the radius around the axis is about 3 m), and can be moved as a whole, greatly reducing the requirements for the test site and test equipment.

[0048] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the technical principle of the present invention, several improvements and substitutions can be made, and these improvements and substitutions should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flapping-wing aircraft test device, characterized in that: It includes a support frame and a rotating arm. The upper end of the support frame is connected to a rotating shaft through a rotating mechanism. The upper end of the rotating shaft is connected to a swing arm. One end of the rotating arm is rotatably connected to the swing arm, and the angle of the rotating arm is adjusted through a limiting mechanism. The other end of the rotating arm is provided with a fixing frame, and an angle adjustment device for installing a flapping-wing aircraft is provided on the fixing frame, and a sensor is provided on the angle adjustment device; A connecting rod is provided at one end of the swing arm connected to the rotating arm. The rotating arm is two relatively arranged rotating rods. The upper ends of the two rotating rods are respectively connected to both ends of the connecting rod, and the lower ends of the two rotating rods are respectively connected to both ends of the fixing frame; The limiting mechanism includes sliders slidably connected to the rotating rods. A first rocker is connected between the two sliders, and a second rocker is hinged between the first rocker and the swing arm; Or the limiting mechanism is a limiting rod. The limiting rod is arranged parallel to the connecting rod at the end of the swing arm. Supporting blocks are provided at both ends of the limiting rod. When the rotating arm rotates to a fixed angle, the rotating rod abuts against the supporting block.

2. The flapping-wing aircraft testing device according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating mechanism includes two relatively arranged mounting plates. The mounting plate located below is connected to the support frame. A driving motor is provided on any one of the mounting plates. The lower end of the rotating shaft is respectively connected to the mounting plate and the driving motor.

3. The flapping-wing aircraft testing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Bearings are provided on the mounting plate. The lower end of the rotating shaft is respectively sleeved in the two bearings. A driven pulley is provided on the rotating shaft between the two bearings. A driving pulley is provided on the driving motor. The driving pulley and the driven pulley are connected by a belt.

4. The flapping-wing aircraft testing device according to claim 1, wherein: The swing arm includes a horizontal pipe and an inclined pipe connected to each other. The horizontal pipe is connected to the rotating shaft, and the inclined pipe is connected to the rotating arm. The included angle between the inclined pipe and the horizontal pipe is 40° to 50°.

5. The flapping-wing aircraft testing device according to claim 1, wherein: The angle adjustment device includes a connecting plate and an adjustment plate arranged relatively. The connecting plate is arranged above the adjustment plate for installing a flapping-wing aircraft. One end of the adjustment plate is hinged to the fixing frame. The other end of the adjustment plate is connected to the fixing frame through a bolt, and a spring is sleeved on the bolt between the adjustment plate and the fixing frame.

6. The flapping wing aircraft testing device according to claim 1, wherein: The angle adjustment device includes a connecting plate and an adjustment plate arranged relatively. The connecting plate is arranged above the adjustment plate for installing a flapping-wing aircraft. One end of the adjustment plate is hinged to the fixing frame. A first support is provided at the other end of the adjustment plate. A second support is movably provided on the fixing frame. An adjusting rod is hinged at a right angle between the first support and the second support.

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