Aerodynamic interaction between forewing and hindwing of a hovering dragonfly

Abstract

The phase change between the forewing and hindwing is a distinct feature that sets dragonfly apart from other insects. In this paper, we investigated the aerodynamic effects of varying forewing-hindwing phase difference with a 60° inclined stroke plane during hovering flight. Force measurements on a pair of mechanical wing models showed that in-phase flight enhanced the forewing lift by 17% and the hindwing lift was reduced at most phase differences. The total lift of both wings was also reduced at most phase differences and only increased at a phase range around in-phase. The results may explain the commonly observed behavior of the dragonfly where 0° is employed in acceleration. We further investigated the wing-wing interaction mechanism using the digital particle image velocimetry (PIV) system, and found that the forewing generated a downwash flow which is responsible for the lift reduction on the hindwing. On the other hand, an upwash flow resulted from the leading edge vortex of the hindwing helps to enhance lift on the forewing. The results suggest that the dragonflies alter the phase differences to control timing of the occurrence of flow interactions to achieve certain aerodynamic effects.