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Unsteady aerodynamic force mechanisms of a hoverfly hovering with a short stroke-amplitude
- Source :
- Physics of Fluids. 29:081901
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- AIP Publishing, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Hovering insects require a rather large lift coefficient. Many insects hover with a large stroke amplitude (120°-170°), and it has been found that the high lift is mainly produced by the delayed-stall mechanism. However, some insects hover with a small stroke amplitude (e.g., 65°). The delayed-stall mechanism might not work for these insects because the wings travel only a very short distance in a stroke, and other aerodynamic mechanisms must be operating. Here we explore the aerodynamic mechanisms of a hoverfly hovering with an inclined stroke plane and a small stroke amplitude (65.6°). The Navier-Stokes equations are numerically solved to give the flows and forces and the theory of vorticity dynamics used to reveal the aerodynamic mechanisms. The majority of the weight-supporting vertical force is produced in the mid portion of the downstroke, a short period (about 26% of the stroke cycle) in which the vertical force coefficient is larger than 4. The force is produced using a new mechanism, the “paddlin...
- Subjects :
- 030110 physiology
0301 basic medicine
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes
Physics
Lift coefficient
Mechanical Engineering
Work (physics)
Computational Mechanics
Mechanics
Aerodynamics
Vorticity
Condensed Matter Physics
01 natural sciences
010305 fluids & plasmas
Mechanism (engineering)
Aerodynamic force
03 medical and health sciences
Classical mechanics
Amplitude
Mechanics of Materials
0103 physical sciences
Navier–Stokes equations
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10897666 and 10706631
- Volume :
- 29
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Physics of Fluids
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........0096dbe3ce4792417065174db81d5f77