CFD simulation of turbulent aerodynamics of a hummingbird wing for gliding micro-UAVs

Akbar, Muhammad Junaid; Bég, Osman Anwar; Bég, Tasveer Anwar; Bhatti, M.M.; Kadir, Ali; Kuharat, Sireetorn

doi:10.22059/jcamech.2025.406447.1694

CFD simulation of turbulent aerodynamics of a hummingbird wing for gliding micro-UAVs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Muhammad Junaid Akbar ¹

Osman Anwar Bég ²

Tasveer Anwar Bég ³

M.M. Bhatti ⁴ ^{, 5}

Ali Kadir ²

Sireetorn Kuharat ²

¹ Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering Department, SEE Building, University of Salford, Manchester, M54WT, UK

² Multi-Physical Engineering Sciences Group, Mechanical Engineering Department, Corrosion and Coatings Lab, Room 3-08, SEE Building, University of Salford, Manchester, M54WT, UK

³ Engineering Mechanics Research, Israfil House, Dickenson Rd., Manchester, M13, UK

⁴ Department of Physics, College of Science, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea

⁵ Material Science Innovation and Modelling (MaSIM) Research Focus Area, North-West University (Mafikeng Campus), Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa

10.22059/jcamech.2025.406447.1694

Abstract

Bio-inspired wing geometries provide a promising pathway for enhancing the aerodynamic efficiency of micro–air vehicles (MAVs), particularly in low-Reynolds-number flight regimes. This study presents a detailed computational analysis of turbulent airflow over a hummingbird-inspired wing operating in gliding conditions, focusing on the aerodynamic mechanisms essential for micro-UAV design. A simplified, biologically motivated wing planform—preserving the characteristic aspect ratio and chord distribution while omitting feather-level complexity—is modelled to isolate the dominant flow physics. Numerical simulations are performed using ANSYS FLUENT with the k–ε turbulence model to evaluate lift, drag, pressure distribution, and flow topology across inlet velocities of 5, 10, and 15 m/s. The results show that the hummingbird-based wing maintains stable aerodynamic performance under all flow conditions, with lift increasing steadily with velocity and peaking at 15 m/s, accompanied by the expected drag augmentation. Pressure and velocity fields confirm the formation of biologically consistent high-pressure regions beneath the wing and low-pressure zones above it, intensifying with increasing speed. A comparative assessment of full-wing and symmetry-based half-wing simulations demonstrates that the latter accurately reproduces aerodynamic trends while substantially reducing computational cost. The findings offer actionable insights into the development of efficient gliding micro-UAVs inspired by natural flyers and establish a foundation for future research in flapping-wing aerodynamics and aeroelastic fluid–structure interaction (FSI).

Keywords

Bio-inspired aerodynamics

Micro air vehicles (MAVs)

Gliding flight

Low-Reynolds-number aerodynamics

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

Subjects

Aerodynamics

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