A numerical and theoretical study of the aerodynamic performance of a hovering rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus)

The aerodynamic characteristics of a hovering rhinoceros beetle are numerically and theoretically investigated. Its wing kinematics is measured using high speed cameras and used for numerical simulations of flow around a flapping rhinoceros beetle in hovering flight. The numerical results show that the aerodynamic forces generated (especially for lift) and power required by the hind wing during a quasi-periodic state are quite different from those during the first stroke. This indicates that the wing–wake interaction significantly affects the aerodynamic performance of the hind wing during the quasi-periodic state. Also, twisting of the hind wing along the wing span direction does not contribute much to total force generation as compared to that of the flat wing, and the role of elytron and body on the aerodynamic performance is quite small, at least for the present hovering flight. Based on a previous model (Wang et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 800, 2016, pp. 688–719), we suggest an improved predictive aerodynamic model without any ad hoc model constants for a rigid and flat hind wing by considering the effect of the wing–wake interaction in hovering flight. In this model, we treat the wake as a steady or unsteady non-uniform downwash motion and obtain its magnitude by combining a quasi-steady blade element theory with an inviscid momentum theory. The lift and drag forces and aerodynamic power consumption predicted by this model are in excellent agreement with those obtained from numerical simulations.

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