Coupling a high-fidelity aerodynamics solver and a multi-agent formalism for the simulation of bird formation flight dynamics

Details

Supervisors

Chatelain, Philippe ; Colognesi, Victor ; Ronsse, Renaud

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil mécanicien, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

The formation flight of birds has long fascinated humanity. Engineers in the aeronautical sector have even adopted bird flight dynamics in aircraft design and formation flying practices. However, few studies explain the physical phenomena underlying bird formations in detail. Furthermore, there has been no numerical simulation of a bird flapping its wings in formation. This gap in research provides the motivation for this master's thesis. The aim of this dissertation is to couple a high-fidelity aerodynamics solver with a multi-agent formalism to simulate bird formation flight dynamics, using resources developed by the Université Catholique de Louvain. The objective is to create a model allowing birds to optimize energy savings under visual and distance constraints. Position and phase controllers are detailed and developed to direct the movement and stabilization of simulated birds. The simulations focus on the northern bald ibis, a migratory bird known for its formation flying. In our analyses, we are interested in the bird's attitude, the energy saved compared to flying alone, and the distribution of energy gains within the ranks of a formation. Results are compared and interpreted in relation to observed data for this species.