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First published online September 16, 2005
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 3785-3804 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01852

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A computational study of the aerodynamics and forewing-hindwing interaction of a model dragonfly in forward flight

Ji Kang Wang and Mao Sun^*

Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics, Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: m.sun{at}263.net)

Accepted 12 August 2005

The aerodynamics and forewing-hindwing interaction of a model dragonfly in forward flight are studied, using the method of numerically solving the Navier-Stokes equations. Available morphological and stroke-kinematic parameters of dragonfly (Aeshna juncea) are used for the model dragonfly. Six advance ratios (J; ranging from 0 to 0.75) and, at each J, four forewing-hindwing phase angle differences (_d; 180°, 90°, 60° and 0°) are considered. The mean vertical force and thrust are made to balance the weight and body-drag, respectively, by adjusting the angles of attack of the wings, so that the flight could better approximate the real flight.

At hovering and low J (J=0, 0.15), the model dragonfly uses separated flows or leading-edge vortices (LEV) on both the fore- and hindwing downstrokes; at medium J (J=0.30, 0.45), it uses the LEV on the forewing downstroke and attached flow on the hindwing downstroke; at high J (J=0.6, 0.75), it uses attached flows on both fore- and hindwing downstrokes. (The upstrokes are very lightly loaded and, in general, the flows are attached.)

At a given J, at _d=180°, there are two vertical force peaks in a cycle, one in the first half of the cycle, produced mainly by the hindwing downstroke, and the other in the second half of the cycle, produced mainly by the forewing downstroke; at _d=90°, 60° and 0°, the two force peaks merge into one peak. The vertical force is close to the resultant aerodynamic force [because the thrust (or body-drag) is much smaller than vertical force (or the weight)]. 55-65% of the vertical force is contributed by the drag of the wings.

The forewing-hindwing interaction is detrimental to the vertical force (and resultant force) generation. At hovering, the interaction reduces the mean vertical force (and resultant force) by 8-15%, compared with that without interaction; as J increases, the reduction generally decreases (e.g. at J=0.6 and _d=90°, it becomes 1.6%). A possible reason for the detrimental interaction is as follows: each of the wings produces a mean vertical force coefficient close to half that needed for weight support, and a downward flow is generated in producing the vertical force; thus, in general, a wing moves in the downwash-velocity field induced by the other wing, reducing its aerodynamic forces.

Key words: dragonfly, forward flight, unsteady aerodynamics, forewing-hindwing interaction, Navier-Stokes simulation

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Lu and G. X. Shen Three-dimensional flow structures and evolution of the leading-edge vortices on a flapping wing J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2008; 211(8): 1221 - 1230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]