Title: Aerodynamic performance of dragonfly-inspired wings in gliding flight for varying angle of attack and Reynolds number: a numerical study

Authors: Prathmesh Verekar; Satish Shenoy Baloor; Hamid Yusoff; Irfan Anjum B. Magami; Sarfaraz Kamangar; Mohammad Zuber

Addresses: Department of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India ' Department of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India ' Mechanical Engineering Studies, College of Engineering Universiti Teknologi MARA, Penang Branch, Permatang Pauh Campus, 13500 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia ' Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia ' Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia ' Department of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India

Abstract: This paper numerically investigates the aerodynamic performance of dragonfly-inspired wings for gliding flight. Dragonfly hind wing morphology (planform and thickness) is considered to create a three-dimensional model. The morphology was obtained from the Aethriamanta brevipennis (Scarlet Marsh Hawk) species of Odonata using a digital micrometer instrument and scanning electron microscope. Gliding flight is known for energy-saving applications. The present study was conducted to assess the effects of the angle of attack (α) (0° to 40°) on the glide performance. The Reynolds numbers of 550, 1,400, and 10,000 were used. The flow separation was witnessed beyond 10° of the angle of attack, and the peak value of glide ratio was near 10° angle of attack. This study shows that dragonfly will sustain flight at Reynolds number of 550 and 1,400 by orienting its wing for an angle of attack of 10°. This study has potential to aid in developing an appropriate wing orientation for insect-scale aerial vehicle applications.

Keywords: dragonfly; gliding; CFD; wing morphology.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2025.143742

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2025 Vol.25 No.1, pp.54 - 61

Received: 26 Aug 2023
Accepted: 17 May 2024
Published online: 06 Jan 2025 *

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