scholarly journals Airflow elicits a spider's jump towards airborne prey. II. Flow characteristics guiding behaviour

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (82) ◽  
pp. 20120820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Klopsch ◽  
Hendrik C. Kuhlmann ◽  
Friedrich G. Barth
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Airflow Velocity ◽  
Flow Sensors ◽  
Cupiennius Salei ◽  
Capture Reaction ◽  
Substrate Vibrations

When hungry, the wandering spider Cupiennius salei is frequently seen to catch flying insect prey. The success of its remarkable prey-capture jump from its sitting plant into the air obviously depends on proper timing and sensory guidance. In this study, it is shown that particular features of the airflow generated by the insect suffice to guide the spider. Vision and the reception of substrate vibrations and airborne sound are not needed. The behavioural reactions of blinded spiders were examined by exposing them to natural and synthetic flows imitating the fly-generated flow or particular features of it. Thus, the different roles of the three phases previously identified in the fly-generated flow and described in the companion paper could be demonstrated. When exposing the spider to phase I flow only (exponentially increasing flow velocity with very little fluctuation and typical of the fly's approach), an orienting behaviour could be observed but a prey-capture jump never be elicited. Remarkably, the spider reacted to the onset of phase II (highly fluctuating flow) of a synthetically generated flow field with a jump as frequently as it did when exposed to natural fly-generated flows. In all cases using either natural or artificial flows, the spider's jump was triggered before its flow sensors were hit by phase III flow (steadily decreasing airflow velocity). Phase III may tell the spider that the prey has passed by already in case of no prey-capture reaction. Our study underlines the relevance of airflow in spider behaviour. It also reflects the sophisticated workings of their flow sensors (trichobothria) previously studied in detail. Presumably, the information contained in prey-generated airflows plays a similar role in many other arthropods.

scholarly journals Airflow elicits a spider's jump towards airborne prey. I. Airflow around a flying blowfly

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (75) ◽  
pp. 2591-2602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Klopsch ◽  
Hendrik C. Kuhlmann ◽  
Friedrich G. Barth
Keyword(s):  
Phase I ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Time Of Arrival ◽  
Flow Sensors ◽  
Cupiennius Salei ◽  
Flying Insects ◽  
Dependent Flow ◽  
Air Flow Velocity ◽  
Hunting Spider

The hunting spider Cupiennius salei uses airflow generated by flying insects for the guidance of its prey-capture jump. We investigated the velocity field of the airflow generated by a freely flying blowfly close to the flow sensors on the spider's legs. It shows three characteristic phases (I–III). (I) When approaching, the blowfly induces an airflow signal near the spider with only little fluctuation (0.013 ± 0.006 m s −1 ) and a strength that increases nearly exponentially with time (maximum: 0.164 ± 0.051 m s −1 s.d.). The spider detects this flow while the fly is still 38.4 ± 5.6 mm away. The fluctuation of the airflow above the sensors increases linearly up to 0.037 m s −1 with the fly's altitude. Differences in the time of arrival and intensity of the fly signal at different legs probably inform the spider about the direction to the prey. (II) Phase II abruptly follows phase I with a much higher degree of fluctuation (fluctuation amplitudes: 0.114 ± 0.050 m s −1 ). It starts when the fly is directly above the sensor and corresponds to the time-dependent flow in the wake below and behind the fly. Its onset indicates to the spider that its prey is now within reach and triggers its jump. The spider derives information on the fly's position from the airflow characteristics, enabling it to properly time its jump. The horizontal velocity of the approaching fly is reflected by the time of arrival differences (ranging from 0.038 to 0.108 s) of the flow at different legs and the exponential velocity growth rate (16–79 s −1 ) during phase I. (III) The air flow velocity decays again after the fly has passed the spider.

A Visually Induced Switch in Mode of Locomotion of a Spider

1997 ◽  
Vol 52 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 124-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Schmid
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Complete Darkness ◽  
Cupiennius Salei ◽  
Locomotion Compensator ◽  
Visual Inputs ◽  
Sensitivity Range ◽  
Locomotion Pattern ◽  
Substrate Vibrations ◽  
Spider Cupiennius Salei

Abstract The spider Cupiennius salei Keys. (Araneae, Ctenidae) is a nocturnal hunter living on monocotyledones. It does not build webs for prey capture. During the day it remains in its retreat and during dusk it begins to hunt for prey or to search for mates. C. salei is well equipped with mechanosensory systems to detect air- or substrate- borne vibrations elicited by prey or predators. If none of them produce either air movements or substrate vibrations, and the light intensity is below the threshold (0.1 lx), the animal is virtually " blind" . There­ fore a hypothetical, additional sensory input should exist, which is used only in complete darkness. The animal was tested on a locomotion compensator were it performs constant walks towards a visual target. Three different light intensities were used (bright 200 lx, dim 0.1 lx, and dark at 950 nm, which is outside the spectral sensitivity range of the animal). At bright and dim illumination the animal walked in the alternating tetrapod gait towards the target. In complete " darkness" the walk was no longer directed and the animal changed its gait and continued walking on only six legs using the first pair as guide-sticks. If the first pair is missing, the second cannot replace this function. This shows a twofold use of the first pair o f legs as ordinary walking legs and as guide-sticks or " antennae" . Therefore one can assume that visual input causes a behavioral change, which can not be explained by a fixed locomotion pattern but by adaptive changes caused by visual inputs.

Thermo-flow characteristics and air flow field leading of the air-cooled condenser cell in a power plant

2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 2475-2482 ◽  
Author(s):  
WanXi Zhang ◽  
LiJun Yang ◽  
XiaoZe Du ◽  
YongPing Yang
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Flow Characteristics

scholarly journals Study on the 3D Hydrodynamic Characteristics and Velocity Uniformity of a Gravity Flow Circular Flume

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 927
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Longxi Han ◽  
Lina Chen ◽  
Chenfang Wang ◽  
Bo Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Longitudinal Velocity ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Hydrodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Straight Channel ◽  
Uniformity Coefficient ◽  
Annular Flume

Flumes have been widely used in water conservancy science and environmental science research. It is of great significance to obtain the hydrodynamic characteristics and flow field uniformity in the flume. In this study, a new type of annular flume was taken as an example. The 3D flow field was simulated by using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, and was also measured by acoustic doppler velocimeter (ADV) to verify the simulation results. The average relative error range was between 8.37% and 9.95%, the simulated results basically reflected the actual situation of the flow field. On this basis, the structural characteristics of flow field were analyzed. A new calculation method of flow velocity uniformity was presented according to the flow characteristics of natural open channels. The velocity uniformity in the straight channel was calculated and analyzed based on this method, and the influence of speed on the velocity uniformity was further discussed. The length of uniform section was negatively correlated with the rotational speed (average velocity), which was between 39 cm and 101 cm in the straight, and the uniformity coefficient was less than 10%. Finally, the water flow characteristics in the straight channel without wheel were compared with the natural open channel flow. The longitudinal velocity was well fitted with the Prandtl logarithmic distribution formula (R2 > 0.977), and the application feasibility of the flume was analyzed. This study can provide technical support for the development and application of annular flume.

Effects of Valve Disc on Flow Characteristics Inside a Swing Check Valve During Opening and Closing Processes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-xiang Xu ◽  
Qiang Ru ◽  
Huai-yu Yao ◽  
Zhi-jiang Jin ◽  
Jin-yuan Qian
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Check Valve ◽  
Opening Angle ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Total Moment ◽  
Valve Disc ◽  
Opening And Closing

Abstract The check valve is one of the most important devices for safety protection of the piping system in thermal and nuclear power plants. As the key component of the check valve, the valve disc accounts for a major effect on the flow characteristics especially during the opening and closing processes. In this paper, a typical swing check valve is taken as the research object. In order to make a comparative study, three working conditions of 30% THA (Turbine Heat Acceptance), 50% THA and 100% THA are selected. Focusing on the effects of valve disc, how does the valve disc motion interact with the flow field around the valve disc is analyzed with the help of the dynamic mesh technology. The results show that under the combined action of fluid force and gravity, the check valve can be opened and closed quickly. During the opening process, the maximum total moment of the disc appears between 45° ∼ 50° opening angle, and during the closing process the maximum total moment occurs when the disc fully closed. The flow field near the valve disc has similar variation rules with the rotation of the valve disc in the three working conditions, and the pressure near the valve disc reaches the maximum value at the moment of opening and closing. This study can provide some suggestions for the further optimal design of similar swing check valve.

THE QUALITY OF VISION IN THE CTENID SPIDER CUPIENNIUS SALEI

1992 ◽  
Vol 164 (1) ◽  
pp. 227-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. LAND ◽  
F. G. BARTH
Keyword(s):  
Predator Avoidance ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Cupiennius Salei ◽  
Quality Of Vision ◽  
Visual Behaviour ◽  
Similar Range ◽  
Retinal Resolution ◽  
Spider Cupiennius Salei ◽  
Median Eyes

Much is known about the mechanosensory behaviour of the spider Cupiennius Keyserling, but much less about its visual capabilities. In this study the quality of the optical image, the retinal resolution and the fields of view were assessed for each of the four pairs of eyes. The image is of good quality in all eyes. The principal (antero-median) eyes lack a tapetum and have an inter-receptor angle of 2.9°. The three secondary eyes (antero-lateral, postero-median and posterolateral) all have ‘gridiron’ tapeta with receptors arranged in rows. The angular separations (along rows × between rows) are 3.6° × 9.3°, 0.9° × 2.3° and 1.0° × 3.0°, respectively. Although the disposition of eyes on the head is similar to that of pisaurid spiders, all other features of the eyes, including the sizes and shapes of the fields of view, resemble those of lycosid spiders. The peripheral visual system of Cupiennius can thus, in principle, support a similar range of visual behaviour to that of lycosids, which includes prey capture, predator avoidance and courtship.

scholarly journals Airflow Characteristics During the Rotor Spun Composite Yarn Spinning Process

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruihua Yang ◽  
Weidong Gao ◽  
Yuan Xue
Keyword(s):  
Static Pressure ◽  
Breaking Strength ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Guide Tube ◽  
Channel Inlet ◽  
Rotor Speed ◽  
Airflow Velocity ◽  
Composite Yarn ◽  
Transfer Channel ◽  
Spinning Process

Rotor spun composite yarn shows compound performances when combined with staple fibres and filaments, such as excellent hand feeling as well as extreme elasticity and strength. Air characteristics including pressure and speed are critical factors of the rotor spun composite yarn spinning process. In this paper, air flow characteristics in a rotor composite yarn spinning unit are simulated and analysed by Ansys, and then verified by experiments. The results show that with the same spinning conditions, static pressure within the filament guide tube is lowest: -9 kPa and in rotor around -5 kPa. The speed of the airstream accelerates from the transfer channel inlet to the outlet, and reaches the largest value of 386 m/s at the outlet. As the rotor speed increases, the airflow velocity increases; the static pressure decreases; the breaking strength and CV of the composite yarn increase, and the breaking elongation and hairiness decrease according to the experiment results.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study on Flow Field in a Swirl Nozzle

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Yicheng Sun ◽  
Yufan Fu ◽  
Baohui Chen ◽  
Jiaxing Lu ◽  
Wanquan Deng
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Velocity Distribution ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
External Flow ◽  
Droplet Velocity ◽  
Inlet Pressure ◽  
Outlet Section ◽  
Local Pressure

In order to study the internal flow characteristics and external droplet velocity distribution characteristics of the swirl nozzle, the following methods were used: numerical simulations were used to study the internal flow characteristics of a swirl nozzle and phase Doppler particle velocimetry was used to determine the corresponding external droplet velocity distribution under medium and low pressure conditions. The distributions of pressure and water velocity inside the nozzle were obtained. Meanwhile, the velocities of droplets outside the nozzle in different sections were discussed. The results show that the flow rate in the swirl nozzle increases with the increase in inlet pressure, and the local pressure in the region decreases because of the excessive velocity at the internal outlet section of the swirl nozzle, resulting in cavitation. The experimental results show that under an external flow field, the minimum droplet velocity occurs in the axial direction; starting from the axis, the velocity first increases and then decreases along the radial direction. Swirling motion inside the nozzle and velocity variations in the external flow field occur under medium and low pressure conditions. The relationship between the inlet pressure and the distributions of water droplets’ velocities was established, which provides a reference for the research and development of the swirl nozzle.

Investigation of Swirl Ratio Impact on In-Cylinder Flow in a SIDI Optical Engine

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanyang Zhuang ◽  
David L. S. Hung ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Shaoxiong Tian
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Control Valve ◽  
Exhaust Emission ◽  
Swirl Ratio ◽  
Optical Engine ◽  
Crank Angle ◽  
Cylinder Flow ◽  
Intake Swirl

Advanced powertrain technologies have improved engine performance with higher power output, lower exhaust emission, and better controllability. Chief among them is the development of spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) engines in which the in-cylinder processes control the air flow motion, fuel-air mixture formation, combustion, and soot formation. Specifically, intake air with strong swirl motion is usually introduced to form a directional in-cylinder flow field. This approach improves the mixing process of air and fuel as well as the propagation of flame. In this study, the effect of intake air swirl on in-cylinder flow characteristics was experimentally investigated. High speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) was conducted in an optical SIDI engine to record the flow field on a swirl plane. The intake air swirl motion was achieved by adjusting the opening of a swirl ratio control valve which was installed in one of the two intake ports in the optical engine. Ten opening angles of the swirl ratio control valve were adjusted to produce an intake swirl ratio from 0.55 to 5.68. The flow structures at the same crank angle degree, but under different swirl ratio, were compared and analyzed using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). The flow dominant structures and variation structures were interpreted by different POD modes. The first POD mode captured the most dominant flow field structure characteristics; the corresponding mode coefficients showed good linearity with the measured swirl ratio at the compression stroke when the flow was swirling and steady. During the intake stroke, strong intake air motion took place, and the structures and coefficients of the first modes varied along different swirl ratio. These modes captured the flow properties affected by the intake swirl motion. Meanwhile, the second and higher modes captured the variation feature of the flow at various crank angle degrees. In summary, this paper demonstrated a promising approach of using POD to interpret the effectiveness of swirl control valve on in-cylinder swirl flow characteristics, providing better understanding for engine intake system design and optimization.

Numerical Simulation Study on the Recovery Process of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weigang Huang ◽  
Donglei Zhang ◽  
Jiawei Yu ◽  
Tao He ◽  
Xianzhou Wang
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Underwater Vehicle ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Convergence Test ◽  
Motion Paths

Abstract AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) recovery is considerably influenced by the nearby flow field and simulations of AUV in different motion paths in the wake of a submarine with a propeller are presented in this paper. A commercial CFD solver STAR CCM+ has been used to research the motion and flow characteristics of AUV, which using the advanced computational continuum mechanics algorithms. The DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) SUBOFF Submarine (L1 = 4.356m) propelled with INSEAN (Italian Ship Model Basin) E1619 propeller is used in this study, and the self-propulsion characteristics of the propeller at an incoming flow velocity of 2.75m/s are obtained through numerical simulation and results are compared with the available experimental data to prove the accuracy of the chosen investigation methodology. A grid/time-step convergence test is performed for verification study. AUV (L2 = 0.4356m) is a smaller-scale SUBOFF without a sail, which approaches the submarine in different motion paths in the submarine wake at a relative speed combined with the dynamic overlapping grid technology. The hydrodynamic performance of the AUV when approaching the submarine and the velocity distribution of the surrounding flow field are analyzed, which provides a useful reference for underwater recovery of the AUV.

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