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Numerical Investigation of the Ground Effect for a Small Bird

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2013

J.-H. Tang ,
J.-Y. Su ,
C.-H. Wang  and
J.-T. Yang
J.-H. Tang
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, R.O.C.
J.-Y. Su
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, R.O.C.
C.-H. Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, R.O.C.
J.-T. Yang*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, R.O.C.
*
*Corresponding author (jtyang@ntu.edu.tw)
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Abstract

An investigation with computational fluid dynamics of the ground effect on a small bird revealed quantitatively the obstruction of the vortex expansion resulting from the presence of the ground at varied distance. Preceding authors focused mainly on the bird's wings, generally neglecting the bird's body; we discuss specifically the distinction of the aerodynamic effect between cases with and without the presence of the bird's body. The results of simulation show that, considering only two wings, for a distance between the wing model and the ground smaller than a semi-span, the smaller is the ground clearance, the more significant is the ground effect. At clearance 0.37 times a semi-span, the drag is decreased 11%, and the lift is increased 5.6%. The ground effect for an intact bird model composed of both wings and body is less effective than that for a simplified model with body omitted, because a suction was observed on the lower surface of the intact bird's trunk at clearance 0.37 times a semi-span; for this reason the intact bird model benefits less from the ground effect than the model with body excluded, but increased lift and decreased drag remain observable. This research treating the ground effect on a gliding bird reveals the importance of the presence of the bird's body in both computational and experimental models.

Keywords

Ground effectBird flightInduced drag
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Mechanics , Volume 29 , Issue 3 , September 2013 , pp. 433 - 441
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, R.O.C. 2013 

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