Massively parallel free-flight simulations of a passive bumblebee in turbulence

High-resolution direct numerical simulations of a flapping bumblebee in fully developed turbulence are presented. The model insect is considered in free flight with all six degrees of coupled to the fluid solver. We study the influence of inflow turbulence with varying intensity on the passive response of the animal. The passive response is relevant for insects due to the finite reaction time after which changes in orientation are transduced into changes in the wingbeat kinematics. The impact on the cycle-averaged aerodynamical forces, moments and power consumption is assessed. We also analyze the leading edge vortex at the insect wings, which enhances lift production, and show that even strong inflow turbulence is insignificant for its flow topology in an ensemble-averaged sense. Orthogonal wavelet decomposition quantifies the scale dependence of the generated swirling flow and its intermittency.