Project Details

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Design, development, and testing of an electromechanical flapping wing oscillator

Company: Mechatronics Research Lab

Major(s):
Primary: ME
Secondary: EE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

Description: An oscillator is a vibrating mass that produces linear or angular vibrations. There are numerous useful applications of an oscillator, which include flapping wing system for flapping wing robots, machining instruments that use vibrations, vibration testing equipment, and speakers. One of the methods used to produce vibrations in an oscillator is by using a DC motor. The precise amplitude and frequency of oscillations can be controlled via the input voltage to the DC motor, which in turn applies the required force to the oscillator mass. The applied force overcomes the inertia of the oscillator as well as the internal and external damping experienced by the oscillator. The inertial component of this force can be reduced or eliminated by attaching a spring to the mass, parallel to the motor, such that the system functions at the resonant frequency of the oscillator (that includes spring). Therefore, the power required to produce vibrations is reduced. In this project, the primary goal is to design, develop, and test a flapping wing oscillator which does not include a spring. Instead, an inductor (and/or capacitor) is used to eliminate the inertial force requirements (see the figure below for an illustration of the system). Specifically, you need to develop an oscillator that functions at a damping ratio of less than 0.3. You are free to choose any motor, flapping wing, and inductor, however, the oscillator flapping frequency should be in the range 5 – 40 Hz, the weight and size of the motor and electronics should be as low as possible, and the gear ratio N_g should be 1 (i.e. not gearbox). Your first step towards achieving this goal will be to develop a theoretical background required to design such a system, using the literature provided to you. This should be followed by designing the oscillator by selecting appropriate motor, wing, and other electrical components. Finally, the oscillator should be developed, and its behavior should be characterized by oscillating it at different frequencies and estimating the inertial energy savings at each of these frequencies, as well as developing measuring the frequency response between a voltage input and flapping wing amplitude output. The resonant frequency and the corresponding damping ratio should be characterized. The observed behavior of the system should be compared with the theoretical behavior and the reasons for discrepancies should be identified and discussed in the final report. Deliverables: A flapping wing oscillator device without a mechanical spring that demonstrates a damping ratio of < 0.3 and flapping frequency in the range 5 - 40 Hz. Final project report and presentation that explains the design procedure, your choice of components, the system’s behavior, and detailed explanation of reasons for discrepancies between theoretical and observed behavior.