Bond graph model of a flapping wing micro-air vehicle

Birds and insects demonstrate impressive aerial capacities in terms of hovering, backward flight or sudden acceleration and their diversity brings multiple solutions to design micro- and nano-air vehicles (MAV´s and NAV´s). To allow a remotely flight control of such vehicles, many scientific and technological challenges have to be solved. First, it is necessary to mimic the flapping of an insect or bird in order to produce sufficient lift forces. Second, the conception and the design of the vehicle must integrate not only the design of the structure but also implement the electronic control functionalities. Within this context, this work presents a dynamic Bond Graph model of a flapping wing MAV. The objective is to use this model in order to better understand the flapping flight performed in nature. The Newton-Euler formalism with body fixed coordinates is chosen to model the dynamics of the MAV which features a body and two wings along which the aerodynamics efforts are integrated. Moreover, the graphical nature and explicit power flow path inherent in the Bond Graph facilitates model construction and troubleshooting. Open-Loop simulations are performed using commercial existing software and compared successfully with experimental data published on the RoboFly.