Meeting Abstract

P1.121  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Size effect on wing deformation and aerodynamics in insect hovering flight NAKATA, Toshiyuki*; LIU, Hao; Chiba Univ., Japan; Chiba Univ., Japan nakata@graduate.chiba-u.jp

Flapping wings of most insects change their shapes passively and dynamically due to inertial and aerodynamic forces during flight. We have carried out a computational fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis of a hovering hawkmoth, which revealed that such passive variation in wing kinematics is responsible for improving aerodynamic performance of flapping wings such as by enhancing lift production as well as flying efficiency. But the effect of sizing or Reynolds number on deformable wing aerodynamics still remains unclear yet, although the variation in wing kinematics including wing deformation and unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms are known to be important. In this study, we further perform a systematic simulation-based study associated with aerodynamic performance of a twisted and/or cambered flapping wing over a wide range of Reynolds number of hovering insects including a fruit fly, a honeybee and a hawkmoth. The scaled structural model of insect wing is newly established on the basis of a measurement for the FSI analysis of insect flapping flight. Our results therefore not only point to the importance of passive deformation of insect wing, but also provide an essential guidance for developing flapping wing type micro air vehicles.