Numerical analysis of piezoelectric signal of PVDF membrane flapping wing in flight

Abstract

As an organic piezoelectric material, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) can be utilized to fabricate thin film with high mechanical properties, and this film can be used to form flapping wing membrane. This type of wing with piezoelectric effect can solve the problems of the flight conditions measurement of flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FMAVs) in practical flapping flight. This study focuses on analysing the voltage outputs generated by PVDF membrane, and proposes two output voltage signal characteristics that can be used to deduce the flight conditions of FMAV, i.e. the voltage wave scale and voltage wave phase difference. The linear plate theory and unsteady aerodynamics coupling with piezoelectric equation are adopted to calculated the voltages generated by inertia and aerodynamic forces. The reasons and applications of scale and phase difference are analysed and discussed, and practical examples are demonstrated to illustrate specific impacts on these two signals.