Dynamic experimental rigs for investigation of insect wing aerodynamics

A simple model of wake capture aerodynamics

Flapping wings may encounter or 'capture' the wake from previous half-stroke, leading to local changes in the instantaneous aerodynamic force on the wing at the start of each half-stroke. In this paper, I developed a simple approach to integrating prediction of these wake capture effects into existing analytical quasi-steady models for hovering insect flapping flight. The local wake flow field is modelled as an additional induced velocity component normal to the stroke plane of the flapping motion that is blended/switched in at the start of each half-stroke. Comparison of model results against experimental data in the literature shows satisfactory agreement in predicting the wake capture lift and drag variations for eight different test cases. Sensitivity analysis shows that the form of the translation velocity time history has a significant effect on the magnitude of wake capture forces. Profiles that retain high translational velocity right up to stroke reversal evoke a much larger effect from wake capture compared with sinusoidal. This result is significant because while constant flapping translation velocity profiles can be generated in the laboratory, the very high accelerations required near stroke reversals incur high mechanical cost that prevents practical adoption in nature or engineered flapping flight vehicles.

Capturing wake capture: a 2D numerical investigation into wing-wake interaction aerodynamics

A wing generating lift leaves behind a region of disturbed air in the form of a wake. For a hovering insect, the wings must return through the wake produced by the previous half-stroke and this can have significant effects on the aerodynamic performance. This paper numerically investigates 2D wings interacting with their own wake at Reynolds numbers of 10²and 10³, enabling an improved understanding of the underlying physics of the 'wake capture' aerodynamic mechanism of insect flight. We adopt a simple kinematic motion pattern comprised of a translational stroke motion followed by a complete stop to expose wake interaction effects. Representative stroke distance to chord ratios between 1.5 and 6.0 are considered, enabling different leading-edge vortex (LEV) attachment states. We also allow pitching rotation towards the end of stroke, leading to wake intercepting angles of 135°, 90°, and 45°, analogous to delayed, symmetric, and advanced pitching rotations of insect wings. It is shown that both vortex suction and jet flow impingement mechanisms can lead to either positive or negative effects depending on the LEV attachment state, and that stroke distances resulting in a detached/attached LEV lead to beneficial/detrimental wake interaction lift. Pitching rotation at the end of the stroke motion is found to induce a strong rotational trailing-edge vortex (RTEV). For advanced pitching, this RTEV serves to enable either a stronger flow impingement effect leading to positive wake interaction lift if the LEV is detached, or a less favourable vortex suction effect leading to negative wake interaction lift if the LEV is closely attached. The higher Reynolds number led to faster development of the wake vortices, but the primary wake interaction mechanisms remained the same for both Reynolds numbers.

Dynamic experimental rigs for investigation of insect wing aerodynamics

This paper provides a systematic and critical review of dynamic experimental rigs used for insect wing aerodynamics research. The goal is to facilitate meaningful comparison of data from existing rigs and provide insights for designers of new rigs. The scope extends from simple one degree of freedom rotary rigs to multi degrees of freedom rigs allowing various rotation and translation motions. Experimental methods are characterized using a consistent set of parameters that allows objective comparison of different approaches. A comprehensive catalogue is presented for the tested flow conditions (assessed through Reynolds number, Rossby number and advance ratio), wing morphologies (assessed through aspect ratio, planform shape and thickness to mean chord ratio) and kinematics (assessed through motion degrees of freedom). Links are made between the type of aerodynamic characteristics being studied and the type of experimental set-up used. Rig mechanical design considerations are assessed, and the aerodynamic measurements obtained from these rigs are discussed.