Dr. Adam M. Wickenheiser Profile

Dr. Adam M. Wickenheiser

Assistant Professor at George Washington Univ

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Publications (15)

Proceedings Article | 26 March 2015 Paper

A three dimensional unsteady iterative panel method with vortex particle wakes and boundary layer model for bio-inspired multi-body wings

Akash Dhruv, Christopher Blower, Adam Wickenheiser

Proceedings Volume 9429, 94290M (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2084301

KEYWORDS: Particles, Aerodynamics, Biomimetics, 3D modeling, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Turbulence, Chemical elements, Multi-element lenses, Surveillance, Reconnaissance

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The ability of UAVs to operate in complex and hostile environments makes them useful in military and civil operations concerning surveillance and reconnaissance. However, limitations in size of UAVs and communication delays prohibit their operation close to the ground and in cluttered environments, which increase risks associated with turbulence and wind gusts that cause trajectory deviations and potential loss of the vehicle. In the last decade, scientists and engineers have turned towards bio-inspiration to solve these issues by developing innovative flow control methods that offer better stability, controllability, and maneuverability. This paper presents an aerodynamic load solver for bio-inspired wings that consist of an array of feather-like flaps installed across the upper and lower surfaces in both the chord- and span-wise directions, mimicking the feathers of an avian wing. Each flap has the ability to rotate into both the wing body and the inbound airflow, generating complex flap configurations unobtainable by traditional wings that offer improved aerodynamic stability against gusting flows and turbulence. The solver discussed is an unsteady three-dimensional iterative doublet panel method with vortex particle wakes. This panel method models the wake-body interactions between multiple flaps effectively without the need to define specific wake geometries, thereby eliminating the need to manually model the wake for each configuration. To incorporate viscous flow characteristics, an iterative boundary layer theory is employed, modeling laminar, transitional and turbulent regions over the wing’s surfaces, in addition to flow separation and reattachment locations. This technique enables the boundary layer to influence the wake strength and geometry both within the wing and aft of the trailing edge. The results obtained from this solver are validated using experimental data from a low-speed suction wind tunnel operating at Reynolds Number 300,000. This method enables fast and accurate assessment of aerodynamic loads for initial design of complex wing configurations compared to other methods available.

Proceedings Article | 1 April 2014 Paper

Design considerations for small-scale wind energy harvesters driven by broadband vortex-induced vibrations

Benjamin Paxson, Adam Wickenheiser

Proceedings Volume 9057, 90571K (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2046344

KEYWORDS: Wind energy, Optical simulations, Energy harvesting, Fluid dynamics, Transducers, Focus stacking software, Solids, Computer simulations, Data modeling, Motion models

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In recent years, an increasing number of breakthroughs have been made in the field of small-scale wind energy harvesting, where specialized materials are utilized to convert flow energy into electric power. Several studies on this power extraction rely on a common energy harvester setup in which a stiff cantilever beam is attached to the trailing edge of a miniature bluff body. At these small scales where boundary layer effects are appreciable in the laminar flow regime, periodic vortex shedding can be used to drive transverse vibrations in the beam. Interestingly, the fluid dynamics involved in this unsteady process have been studied for decades not to exploit their characteristics, but instead to eliminate potentially destructive effects. As a result, there is still much room for improvement and expansion on recent design studies. A study of how subtle changes in bluff body trailing edge geometry effect power output of a model will be presented in this paper. The model under consideration consists of a miniature bluff body on the order of tens of millimeters in diameter, to which a piezoelectric cantilever is attached at the trailing edge. This model is specifically designed for laminar to transitional Reynolds Number flows (500−2800) where the periodicity of vortex shedding approaches the natural frequency of the beam. As the flow speed is further increased, the effect of lock-in occurs where the resonant beam motion resists a change in vortex shedding frequency. Vibration amplitudes of the beam reach a maximum under this condition, thus maximizing power generation efficiency of the system and providing an optimal condition to operate the harvester. In an effort to meaningfully compare the results, a number of dimensionless parameters are employed. The influence of parameters such as beam length and natural frequency, fluid flow speed, and trailing edge geometry are studied utilizing COMSOL Multiphysics laminar, fluid-structure interaction simulations in order to create design guidelines for an improved energy harvester.

Proceedings Article | 8 March 2014 Paper

A two-dimensional iterative panel method and boundary layer model for bio-inspired multi-body wings

Christopher Blower, Akash Dhruv, Adam Wickenheiser

Proceedings Volume 9055, 90550V (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2046564

KEYWORDS: Biomimetics, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Integrated modeling, Numerical analysis, Aerodynamics, Computational fluid dynamics

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Proceedings Article | 4 April 2012 Paper

The development of a closed-loop flight controller with panel method integration for gust alleviation using biomimetic feathers on aircraft wings

Christopher Blower, Woody Lee, Adam Wickenheiser

Proceedings Volume 8339, 83390I (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.914646

KEYWORDS: Solar thermal energy, Control systems, Biomimetics, Systems modeling, Motion models, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Standards development, Liquid crystal lasers, Distributed computing, Aerodynamics

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Proceedings Article | 27 March 2012 Paper

Performance analysis of frequency up-converting energy harvesters for human locomotion

Brittany Anderson, Adam Wickenheiser

Proceedings Volume 8341, 834102 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.915277

KEYWORDS: Magnetism, Energy harvesting, Transducers, Resistance, Ferroelectric materials, Structural design, Stochastic processes, Resistors, Switching, Ferromagnetics

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Proceedings Article | 27 April 2011 Paper

A study of several vortex-induced vibration techniques for piezoelectric wind energy harvesting

Vishak Sivadas, Adam Wickenheiser

Proceedings Volume 7977, 79770F (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.878493

KEYWORDS: Wind energy, Beam shaping, Solids, Fluid dynamics, Optical simulations, Energy harvesting, Computer simulations, Interfaces, Mechanics, Focus stacking software

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Proceedings Article | 23 March 2011 Paper

Two-dimensional localized flow control using distributed, biomimetic feather structures: a comparative study

Christopher Blower, Adam Wickenheiser

Proceedings Volume 7975, 79750L (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.882310

KEYWORDS: Chlorine, Data modeling, Turbulence, Control systems, Cadmium, Biomimetics, MATLAB, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Performance modeling, Process modeling

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Proceedings Article | 10 April 2010 Paper

Design of energy harvesting systems for harnessing vibrational motion from human and vehicular motion

Adam Wickenheiser, Ephrahim Garcia

Proceedings Volume 7643, 76431B (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.847616

KEYWORDS: Energy harvesting, Picosecond phenomena, Switching, Resistance, Circuit switching, Capacitors, Data storage, Aerospace engineering, Intelligence systems, Instrument modeling

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Proceedings Article | 7 April 2009 Paper

Combined power harvesting from AC and DC sources

Adam Wickenheiser, Ephrahim Garcia

Proceedings Volume 7288, 728816 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.817305

KEYWORDS: Capacitors, Thermoelectric materials, Transducers, Diodes, Capacitance, Electromagnetism, Energy harvesting, Solar energy, Motion models, Electronics

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Proceedings Article | 18 April 2008 Paper

Mission performance of a solar- and microwave-powered aircraft

Adam Wickenheiser, Ephrahim Garcia

Proceedings Volume 6928, 692802 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.776368

KEYWORDS: Transmitters, Microwave radiation, Solar energy, Aerodynamics, Antennas, Solar cells, Surveillance, Performance modeling, Energy harvesting, Solar radiation

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Proceedings Article | 27 April 2007 Paper

Perching aerodynamics and trajectory optimization

Adam Wickenheiser, Ephrahim Garcia

Proceedings Volume 6525, 65250O (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.716069

KEYWORDS: Aerodynamics, Intelligence systems, Actuators, Computer programming, Data modeling, Smart materials, Biomimetics, Aerospace engineering, Control systems, Unmanned aerial vehicles

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Proceedings Article | 17 May 2005 Paper

Longitudinal dynamics of a perching aircraft concept

Adam Wickenheiser, Ephrahim Garcia, Martin Waszak

Proceedings Volume 5764, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.601512

KEYWORDS: Aerodynamics, Mars, Biomimetics, Testing and analysis, Intelligence systems, Computer simulations, Computational fluid dynamics, Actuators, CFD analysis, Simulink

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Proceedings Article | 17 May 2005 Paper

Design of a shape-memory alloy actuated macro-scale morphing aircraft mechanism

Justin Manzo, Ephrahim Garcia, Adam Wickenheiser, Garnett Horner

Proceedings Volume 5764, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.601372

KEYWORDS: Aerodynamics, Shape memory alloys, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Wind measurement, Structural dynamics, Actuators, Shape analysis, Physics, Computer aided design, 3D printing

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Proceedings Article | 26 July 2004 Paper

Adaptive structural systems and compliant skin technology of morphing aircraft structures

Justin Manzo, Ephrahim Garcia, Adam Wickenheiser, Garnett Horner

Proceedings Volume 5390, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.540348

KEYWORDS: Skin, Aerodynamics, Actuators, Aircraft structures, Intelligence systems, Analytical research, Control systems, Prototyping, Structural dynamics, Kinematics

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Proceedings Article | 26 July 2004 Paper

Evaluation of bio-inspired morphing concepts with regard to aircraft dynamics and performance

Adam Wickenheiser, Ephrahim Garcia, Martin Waszak

Proceedings Volume 5390, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.540346

KEYWORDS: Aerodynamics, Biomimetics, Shape analysis, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Actuators, MATLAB, Control systems, Differential equations, Intelligence systems, Analytical research

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Showing 5 of 15 publications

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