Dynamic lift enhancement mechanism of dragonfly wing model by vortex-corrugation interaction

TL;DR

This study investigates how the corrugated structure of dragonfly wings enhances lift by affecting vortex dynamics, revealing that corrugation suppresses vortex eruption and improves aerodynamic performance at low Reynolds numbers.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of vortex-corrugation interactions and their role in lift enhancement, which was previously not well understood.

Findings

Corrugation suppresses lambda vortex eruption.

Corrugated wings maintain stronger LEVs longer.

Lift is enhanced at various angles of attack due to corrugation.

Abstract

The wing structure of several insects, including dragonflies, is not smooth, but corrugated; its vertical cross-section consists of a connected series of line segments. Some previous studies have reported that corrugated wings exhibit better aerodynamic performance than flat wings at low Reynolds numbers (ten to the third). However, the mechanism remains unclear because of the complex wing structure and flow characteristics. Although a complex corrugated structure modifies the aerodynamic characteristics and flow properties during unsteady wing motion, for example, leading-edge vortex (LEV) dynamics, which are key to lift enhancement in many insects; the details have not yet been studied. In this study, we analysed the flow around a two-dimensional corrugated wing model that started impulsively by direct numerical simulations. We focused on the period between the initial generation of LEVs and subsequent interactions before detachment. For the flat wing, it is known that a secondary vortex with a sign opposite to that of the LEV, the lambda vortex, develops and erupts to discourage lift enhancement. For corrugated wings, such an eruption of the lambda vortex can be suppressed by the corrugation structure, which enhances the lift. The detailed mechanism and its dependence on the angle of attack are also discussed.