Abstract
Although the asymmetry in the upward and downward bending of insect wings is well known, the structural origin of this asymmetry is not yet clearly understood. Some researchers have suggested that based on experimental results, the bending asymmetry of insect wings appears to be a consequence of the camber inherent in the wings. Although an experimental approach can reveal this phenomenon, another method is required to reveal the underlying theory behind the experimental results. The finite element method (FEM) is a powerful tool for evaluating experimental measurements and is useful for studying the bending asymmetry of insect wings. Therefore, in this study, the asymmetric bending of the Allomyrina dichotoma beetle's hind wing was investigated through FEM analyses rather than through an experimental approach. The results demonstrated that both the stressed stiffening of the membrane and the camber of the wing affect the bending asymmetry of insect wings. In particular, the chordwise camber increased the rigidity of the wing when a load was applied to the ventral side, while the spanwise camber increased the rigidity of the wing when a load was applied to the dorsal side. These results provide an appropriate explanation of the mechanical behavior of cambered insect wings, including the bending asymmetry behavior, and suggest an appropriate approach for analyzing the structural behavior of insect wings.
Highlights
For many years, insect flight has attracted significant attention in science and engineering since the concept of a micro aerial vehicle, inspired by insect flight, has become of interest [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
We considered the nonlinear effects of a large deformation that included stress stiffening in the finite element method (FEM) model in order to investigate the bending asymmetry in an insect wing
Stress stiffening effects We conducted finite element (FE) analyses for five models with two options that were provided in ANSYSH: a linear solution with a small displacement static and a nonlinear solution with a large displacement static
Summary
Insect flight has attracted significant attention in science and engineering since the concept of a micro aerial vehicle, inspired by insect flight, has become of interest [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. An insect wing deforms significantly (bending and twisting) as it flaps. The bending asymmetry of insect wings is well known and has been reported numerous times in the literature based on experimental results. Lehmann et al [12] found that a blowfly’s wing bent more when pushed on the dorsal side than on the ventral side through experiments. The dorsal-ventral bending asymmetry has been shown in the wings of butterflies [13] and hawk moth Manduca sexta [14], and in the hind wings of locusts [15]. A comprehensive understanding of the structural origin of the bending asymmetry remains unclear. Another method is required to reveal the underlying theory behind the experimental results
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