Phase II Final Report - NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts

Planetary Exploration Using Biomimetics
An Entomopter for Flight on Mars
The reduction in the wing-tip deflection is influenced most by the wing-root thickness, as shown
in Figure 3-22. As the root thickness increases, the mass of the wing section increases and tip
deflection decreases. This large benefit in reducing the tip bending by increasing the root thickness
occurs because the added mass, hence wing strength, is added at a location with the minimum
amount of structural loading. Therefore, the increase in mass does not add much to the
bending load on the wing but does contribute to its strength. Conversely, reducing wing thickness
and hence structural mass at the wing tip reduces maximum bending seen at the tip. This is
shown in Figure 3-24.
Based on this analysis, the geometry of a hollow-core wing with a tapered thickness from the
root to the tip produces the most efficient structural design. This design is capable of withstanding
structural loading applied under baseline operating conditions with minimal wing flexing
and a fairly light weight.
A CAD drawing of the wing structure was produced based on the hollow, tapered geometry
established as the base wing geometry through this analysis. This geometry is show in Figures 3-
25 through 3-27.
300
200
100
-100
0
r= 0.03
r= 0.15
r= 0.21
r= 0.33
r= 0.39
r= 0.45
r= 0.51
r= 0.57
r= 0.0525
r= 0.1575
-200
-300
Time (one cycle)
Figure 3-18: Loading Profile at Various Radial Stations Along the Wing for a Hollow
Tapered Wing
60
Phase II Final Report