Effects of wing flexibility on bumblebee propulsion

Tobing, Sheila; Young, John; Lai, J.C.S.

doi:10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2016.10.005

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…A recent two-way fluid-structure interactions (FSI) model on bumblebee flight, by contrast, implies that model wings with uniform stiffness produce more lift and thrust than wings with a stiffness distribution similar to a genuine bumblebee wing. This is due to the hyper-compliant wing tip that stabilizes flight but at the cost of elevated aerodynamic power requirements (Tobing et al, 2017). The latter findings were confirmed by an experimental study on bumblebees with artificially stiffened wings that lead to more flight instabilities during forward flight compared to controls (Mistick et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local deformation and stiffness distribution in fly wings

et al. 2019

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Mechanical properties of insect wings are essential for insect flight aerodynamics. During wing flapping, wings may undergo tremendous deformations, depending on the wings’ spatial stiffness distribution. We here show an experimental evaluation of wing stiffness in three species of flies using a micro-force probe and an imaging method for wing surface reconstruction. Vertical deflection in response to point loads at 11 characteristic points on the wing surface reveals that average spring stiffness of bending lines between wing hinge and point loads varies ∼77-fold in small fruit flies and up to ∼28-fold in large blowflies. The latter result suggests that local wing deformation depends to a considerable degree on how inertial and aerodynamic forces are distributed on the wing surface during wing flapping. Stiffness increases with an increasing body mass, amounting to ∼0.6 Nm−1 in fruit flies, ∼0.7 Nm−1 in house flies and ∼2.6 Nm−1 in blowflies for bending lines, running from the wing base to areas near the center of aerodynamic pressure. Wings of house flies have a ∼1.4-fold anisotropy in mean stiffness for ventral versus dorsal loading, while anisotropy is absent in fruit flies and blowflies. We present two numerical methods for calculation of local surface deformation based on surface symmetry and wing curvature. These data demonstrate spatial deformation patterns under load and highlight how veins subdivide wings into functional areas. Our results on wings of living animals differ from previous experiments on detached, desiccated wings and help to construct more realistic mechanical models for testing the aerodynamic consequences of specific wing deformations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local deformation and stiffness distribution in fly wings

et al. 2019

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“…On the one hand, studies have shown that wing flexibility can enhance load-lifting capacity [19], down-wash and lift production [20][21][22], delay stall during the translational phase [23,24], improve wake capture [25] and flight-efficiency [12,26], and increase tolerance to aerial perturbations, by providing more stability compared to artificially stiffer wings [27]. On the other hand, Tanaka et al [28] suggested that hoverfly wings would produce greater lift if they were rigid; Zhao et al [29] showed that wing flexibility reduces the generation of the aerodynamic lift; and Tobing et al [30] argued that wing flexibility reduces the production of lift but enables bumblebee wings to generate thrust. This controversy may reflect trade-offs between wing flexibility and rigidity in designing efficient flapping wings but may also be partly due to research focused on simplified model wings and numerical simulations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological diversification has led to inter-specific variation in elastic wing deformation during flight in scarab beetles

et al. 2020

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Insect wing shapes and the internal wing-vein arrangement are remarkably diverse. Although the wings lack intrinsic musculature to adjust shape actively, they elastically deform due to aerodynamic and inertial loads during flapping. In turn, the deformations alter the shape of the wing profile affecting the aerodynamic force. To determine how changes in wing-vein arrangement affect elastic wing deformation during free flight, we compared elastic wing deformations between free-flying rose chafers ( Protaetia cuprea ) and dung beetles ( Scarabaeus puncticollis ), complementing the comparison with wing static bending measurements. The broader relevance of the results to scarab beetle divergence was examined in a geometric morphometric (GM) analysis of wing-vein arrangement in 20 species differing in phylogeny and ecology. Despite rose chafers and dung beetles demonstrating similar flapping kinematics and wing size, the rose chafer wings undergo greater elastic deformation during flapping. GM analyses corrected for phylogenetic relatedness revealed that the two beetles represent extremes in wing morphology among the scarab subfamilies. Most of the differences occur at the distal leading edge and the proximal trailing edge of the wing, diversifying the flexibility of these regions, thereby changing the pattern of elastic wing deformation during flapping. Changes to local wing compliance seem to be associated with the diversification of scarab beetles to different food sources, perhaps as an adaptation to meet the demands of diverse flight styles.

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“…Moreover, as spanwise stiffness in insect wings is approximately one to two orders of magnitude larger than chordwise stiffness, wings often deform in a characteristic fashion [ 37 , 76 ]. There is a continuing debate on the potential benefits of dynamic shape changes in flapping flight because some authors reported aerodynamic advantages of wing deformation for lift production [ 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 ], while other authors found disadvantages [ 80 , 81 , 82 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wing Design in Flies: Properties and Aerodynamic Function

Krishna

Cho

Wehmann

et al. 2020

Insects

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The shape and function of insect wings tremendously vary between insect species. This review is engaged in how wing design determines the aerodynamic mechanisms with which wings produce an air momentum for body weight support and flight control. We work out the tradeoffs associated with aerodynamic key parameters such as vortex development and lift production, and link the various components of wing structure to flight power requirements and propulsion efficiency. A comparison between rectangular, ideal-shaped and natural-shaped wings shows the benefits and detriments of various wing shapes for gliding and flapping flight. The review expands on the function of three-dimensional wing structure, on the specific role of wing corrugation for vortex trapping and lift enhancement, and on the aerodynamic significance of wing flexibility for flight and body posture control. The presented comparison is mainly concerned with wings of flies because these animals serve as model systems for both sensorimotor integration and aerial propulsion in several areas of biology and engineering.

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Effects of wing flexibility on bumblebee propulsion

Cited by 18 publications

References 67 publications

Local deformation and stiffness distribution in fly wings

Local deformation and stiffness distribution in fly wings

Morphological diversification has led to inter-specific variation in elastic wing deformation during flight in scarab beetles

Wing Design in Flies: Properties and Aerodynamic Function

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