Effect of Central Body Size on the Leading Edge Vortex of a Rotating Insect Wing

International audienceThe stable attachment of a leading-edge vortex (LEV) is responsible for the high lift observed from insect wings. In experiments, we study the flow structure over a model wing mounted on a central body. The diameter of the central body and the change in Rossby number (Ro) due to placement of the wing root away from the centre can affect the flow structure. Normally, the LEV splits to form dual LEVs in a rotating wing, with the spanwise split location changing with Reynolds number. The results presented here show that the LEV structure is minimally affected by changes in the central body size for a wide range of body sizes