Finite Element Stress Analysis of a Bumblebee-Inspired MAV (Micro air vehicle) Wing

A computational study is described of the structural performance of a bumblebee-inspired wing for a micro aerial vehicle (MAV) during the initial downstroke phase of take-off using finite element analysis (FEA). A detailed three-dimensional model of the forewing and hindwing was developed to replicate the morphological and structural features of the insect wing. Static FEA was performed within the ANSYS Workbench to assess stress distribution, strain, and deformation under aerodynamic loading conditions experienced during the first wing stroke, based on a wingspan of 18 mm and the species-specific flapping frequency of 130 Hz. The results indicate that the natural venation pattern of the wing provides effective load distribution, reducing stress concentrations along the wingspan. Peak Von Mises stresses were localised along the leading edge, following the primary branch of the vein structure, while maximum deformation occurred at the wingtip, consistent with experimentally observed honeybee wing deformation. The static pressure case simulations reveal that maximum deformation (total displacement) is observed to consistently decreased with increasing Young's Modulus. At 2 GPa, the wing exhibits the highest displacement of 1189 μm and this is strongly reduced to 793 μm at 3 GPa, 595 μm at 4 GPa, and 476 μm at 5 GPa. The Von Mises elastic strain varied significantly with stiffness. The strain decreases when Young's Modulus increased for chitin, with values of 3.68×10 -3 at 2 GPA, 2.45×10 -3 at 3 GPa, 1.84×10 -3 at 4 GPa, and 1.47×10 -3 at 5 GPa. Notably, the Von Mises stress results remained nearly constant across all Young's Modulus values, hovering around 4.93 MPa. For the acceleration case, at 2 GPa, the maximum total deformation was recorded as 1094 μm,. When the modulus was increased to 3 GPa, the displacement reduced to 723 μm, followed by 547 μm at 4 GPa and 438 μm at 5 GPa. As with the static simulation, in all cases, the displacement was concentrated toward the wing tip, with the largest deformation occurring along the outer regions of the bumble bee wing structure, away from the fixed support. Furthermore, the Von Mises strain recorded when the Young's Modulus was set to 4 GPa exceeds that computed in the other three cases (5GPa, 3GPa and 2GPa). As with the static pressure simulations, the Von Mises stress sustains a consistent value across all the Young's Modulus values, maintaining a peak value of approximately 4.27 MPa. Peak Von Mises stress is observed at the leading edge, where the leading vein changes direction to follow the wing contours, which are most susceptible to loading and subjected to the highest forces resulting from flight. The findings also demonstrate the potential of biomimetic venation layouts to enhance the strength-to-weight ratio in small-scale UAV wings, thereby supporting efficient lift production with minimal weight penalties.