Numerical Investigation of a Bio-Inspired Dragonfly Corrugated Wing for Enhanced Aerodynamic Performance of UAVs

Dragonfly wings have naturally corrugated surfaces that influence vortex formation, pressure distribution and flow separation at low Reynolds numbers. This study presents the design and numerical investigation of two bio-inspired dragonfly corrugated wing configurations for small UAV applications. Both wings were modelled in CATIA V5 with identical chord and span but different corrugation parameters (height, spacing and number of corrugations). CFD simulations were run in SimScale under identical flow conditions at a zero-degree angle of attack. The study compares lift coefficient, drag coefficient, transient aerodynamic response and flow-field behaviour. The results show initial fluctuations in the aerodynamic coefficients followed by gradual stabilization, and differences in drag between the two models, indicating that corrugation geometry affects aerodynamic resistance. The work gives a comparative basis for further research on corrugated wings for UAVs operating at low Reynolds numbers.