AS5590 Dynamic Soaring

Ranjith M., AE, ranjith.m@iitm.ac.in

IIT Madras

Jan-July 2021

Lecture: Dynamic Soaring Analysis

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Explanation given by Lord Rayleigh [1]:
Consider two layers: one with wind speed VW
and other still air.
Let aircraft have a ground velocity V in same
direction as W
The airspeed below the shear layer is same as
ground speed V because there is no wind.
The airspeed above the shear layer when bird
sees headwind (flying against the wind) is
V + VW .

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 Figure 1: Rayleigh Dynamic soaring Cycle

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when the bird flies with the tailwind (that is
the flight is in the direction of the wind), the
airspeed above the shear layer is V − VW
after descend through the shear layer, the
speed changes to V , that is again an increase
by VW (Fig. 1)
In this maneuver, the airspeed of bird has
increased while ascending as well as descending.

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Horizontal wind component with the only
gradient in the vertical direction
u̇w = ∂u
∂h appears to play a crucial role to
w

compensate for drag.

∂uw ∂uw ∂uw ∂uw
u̇w = + ẋ + ẏ + ż
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
 
∂uw
We assume steady wind field = 0 and
∂t
∂uw
Gradient only in the z direction ( ).
∂z

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Expression for ż

     
ẋ V cos γ cos χ uw
ẏ  =  V cos γ sin χ  +  vw  (1)
ż −V sin γ ww
We assume vw = ww = 0, and hence
ż = −V sin γ(downward directed z axis)
∂uw
u̇w = (−V sin γ) (2)
∂z

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The critical question we need to answer is how this
term affects the dynamics.
Note that for a flight with no wind or uniform wind,
the position of the aircraft does not affect its
dynamics.
However, if wind profile is such that the gradient
∂uw
(e.g. ) exists then all six equations may be
∂z
coupled.

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 ∂uw
we assume is a function of z alone
∂z
three equations of motion need to be solved
along with the ż equation, that is, only four
equations are coupled.
The remaining two can be solved together if we
are interested in the position of the aircraft.
However, note that for a particular case of
linear wind profile or constant wind shear for
∂uw
uw , that is is a constant, then dynamics
∂z
equations are decoupled from kinematic
relations.

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In absence of thrust, the aircraft can accelerate
dV
(relative to the wind), > 0, if the contribution
dt
from wind shear compensates the gravity and
aerodynamic drag.

dV 1
= −g sin(γ) − cos(χ) cos(γ)u̇w + (−FD ) (3)
dt m
∂uw 1
cos(χ) cos(γ) (V sin γ) > g sin(γ) + (FD )
∂z m
(4)
∂uw
Note signs of uw , z and
∂z
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Energy analysis

There are two frames of interest to us: the

wind relative frame and the inertial frame.
The energy based explanation given by
Rayleigh relies on wind relative frame.
We will derive expressions for rate of energy
change in both these frames to determine the
energy extraction from the wind.

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Let us first consider a simple case of one
dimensional motion of a body when a force F is
exerted on it in the same direction of its motion.
We consider two frames:
1 An inertial frame I which is fixed.
2 A moving frame of velocity uw . We will
consider two cases here:
1 SI is an inertial frame, that is moving at constant
velocity: u̇w = 0, in the same direction as body is
moving.
2 SN is a non-inertial frame: u̇w = 0
The coordinate x denotes the position of the body
from the origin in fixed (inertial) frame. Let mass of
body be m.
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Inertial Frame I

The kinetic energy of the body is given by

E = 12 mẋ 2 . The rate of change of kinetic energy is

dE
= mẋ ẍ (5)
dt
and the rate of work done (power) by the force is

Ẇ = F ẋ = mẍ ẋ (6)
dE
same as dt .

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Inertial frame SI
The relative velocity of the body with respect to the
moving frame is ẋ − uw and the force acting on the
body is F = mẍ. The rate of work done will be
hence
Ẇ = mẍ (ẋ − uw ) (7)
The kinetic energy in the moving frame is given by
1 2
2 m (ẋ − uw ) . The rate of kinetic energy change
(with u̇w = 0) will be,
dE
= m (ẋ − uw ) ẍ (8)
dt
dE
which is expected because dt = Ẇ .
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Force and acceleration in relative frame is FR , xR

FR = mẍR (9)

ẍR = ẍ − u̇w (10)

FR = m(ẍ − u̇w ) (11)

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Viewed in the context of pseudo force, Fp = mu̇w ,
in the opposite direction of uw , the force balance
equation would be,

F − mu̇w = FR = m(ẍ − u̇w ) (12)

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Hence the rate of work done is given by,

Ẇ = FR (ẋ − uw )
= m (ẍ − u̇w ) (ẋ − uw ) (13)

Expression for rate of energy,

dE 1 d
= m (ẋ − uw )2
dt 2 dt
= m (ẋ − uw ) (ẍ − u̇w ) (14)

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The energy extracted from the wind is the
same as the work done by the wind against the
force exerted by the aircraft on the wind.
The force acting on the wind in the x direction
(inertial coordinates: iˆI ) is the same as the
force exerted by the wind on the aircraft in the
opposite direction.
The magnitude of this force is mẍ and directed
along −iˆI .

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The power extracted from the wind is hence given
by (15).
PwI = mẍuw (15)
The energy extracted from the wind is used to do
work against drag and also manifests as an increase
in kinetic energy of the aircraft. Hence the rate of
increase in aircraft kinetic energy is given by (16).
dEI
= mẍuw − DV (16)
dt
Note that we have not included work done by
gravity the effect if which on energy addition over a
complete cycle is zero.
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Rayleigh (Lord).
The soaring of birds.
Nature, 27:534–535, 1883.

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