Transient and Stable Chaos in Dipteran Flight Inspired Flapping Motion

Abstract

This paper deals with the nonlinear fluid structure interaction (FSI) dynamics of a Dipteran flight motor inspired flapping system in an inviscid fluid. In the present study, the FSI effects are incorporated to an existing forced Duffing oscillator model to gain a clear understanding of the nonlinear dynamical behavior of the system in the presence of aerodynamic loads. The present FSI framework employs a potential flow solver to determine the aerodynamic loads and an explicit fourth-order Runge–Kutta scheme to solve the structural governing equations. A bifurcation analysis has been carried out considering the amplitude of the wing actuation force as the control parameter to investigate different complex states of the system. Interesting dynamical behavior including period doubling, chaotic transients, periodic windows, and finally an intermittent transition to stable chaotic attractor have been observed in the response with an increase in the bifurcation parameter. Similar dynamics is also reflected in the aerodynamic loads as well as in the trailing edge wake patterns.