On the feasibility of the Rayleigh cycle for dynamic soaring trajectories
| Autor: | Giorgio Graziani, Luca Marino, David Alexandre, Renzo Piva, Andre C. Marta |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
0209 industrial biotechnology
Atmospheric Science Computer science Physiology Airspeed Velocity 02 engineering and technology Wind Wind speed Dynamic soaring 020901 industrial engineering & automation Wind profile power law 0203 mechanical engineering Ornithology Bird Flight Medicine and Health Sciences Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics Wings Animal trajectory optimization Animal Flight Energy-harvesting Wind Power 020301 aerospace & aeronautics Multidisciplinary Wind power Wind strength Physics Classical Mechanics Trajectory optimization Aerodynamics Drag Dynamics Physical Sciences Bird flight Medicine Engineering and Technology Alternative Energy dynamic soaring Research Article Optimization Science Fluid Mechanics Continuum Mechanics Birds Motion Meteorology Mechanical Energy Animals Aerospace engineering business.industry Biological Locomotion Biology and Life Sciences Fluid Dynamics Models Theoretical rayleigh cycle flight dynamics Energy and Power Flight Animal Earth Sciences Feasibility Studies business Aviation Zoology Mathematics |
| Zdroj: | PLoS ONE PLoS ONE, Vol 15, Iss 3, p e0229746 (2020) |
| ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
| Popis: | Dynamic soaring is a flight technique used by albatrosses and other birds to cover large distances without the expenditure of energy, which is extracted from the available wind conditions, as brightly perceived five centuries ago by Leonardo da Vinci. Closed dynamic soaring trajectories use spatial variations of wind speed to travel, in principle, indefinitely over a prescribed area. The application of the concept of closed dynamic soaring trajectories to aerial vehicles, such as UAVs, may provide a solution to improve the endurance in certain missions. The main limitation of dynamic soaring is its dependence on the wind characteristics. More than one century ago, Lord Rayleigh proposed a very simple model, based on the repeated crossing of a step wind profile, presently known as Rayleigh cycle, that provides a clear explanation of the physical phenomenon. The present paper studies the feasibility of closed, single-loop, energy-neutral trajectories for a broad set of wind and vehicle conditions. Through the use of trajectory optimization methods, it was possible to see how the shape of the wind profile, the initial flight conditions and the vehicle constraints influence the required wind strength to perform dynamic soaring trajectories and consequently their feasibility. It was possible to conclude that there are optimal values for the initial airspeed and initial height of the vehicle, that minimize the required wind strength. In addition, it was seen how the structural and aerodynamic constraints of the vehicle affect dynamic soaring at high and low airspeeds respectively. Finally, some new trajectories that can be performed in conditions of excess wind are proposed. The purpose is to maximize the time spent aloft and the path length while maintaining the concept of single-loop, energy-neutral trajectories, making them especially useful for aerial vehicles surveillance applications. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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