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Moth-inspired methods for particle capture on a cylinder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2019

Thomas L. Spencer Open the ORCID record for Thomas L. Spencer [Opens in a new window] ,
Nina Mohebbi Open the ORCID record for Nina Mohebbi [Opens in a new window] ,
Guangyuan Jin ,
Matthew L. Forister ,
Alexander Alexeev Open the ORCID record for Alexander Alexeev [Opens in a new window]  and
David L. Hu Open the ORCID record for David L. Hu [Opens in a new window]
Thomas L. Spencer
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332, USA
Nina Mohebbi
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332, USA
Guangyuan Jin
Affiliation:
Jiangnan University, Wuxi Shi, Jiangsu214122, China
Matthew L. Forister
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, MS 314 University of Nevada, Reno, NV89557, USA
Alexander Alexeev
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332, USA
David L. Hu*
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332, USA School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: hu@me.gatech.edu
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Abstract

We study particle capture on an angled cylinder at a range of Péclet numbers. This system was inspired by the plumose antennae of certain species of male moths that intercept female pheromones at low Péclet numbers of 0.9–23. We use confocal microscopy to measure the branching patterns of 49 moths, spanning 12 families and two orders of magnitude in mass. Among the three levels of hierarchy in antennae, we find the middle level has a prevalent branching angle, $52^{\circ }\pm 12^{\circ }$ across our study set. Such intermediate branching angles are a surprising way to intercept molecules because they do not maximize the exposed surface area. To understand the benefits of angling cylinders into the flow, we study particle collection at high Péclet number using $10~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ drops that are several orders of magnitude larger than moth pheromones. Wind tunnel tests show that cylinders angled at $30^{\circ }{-}60^{\circ }$ are optimal for collection of particles, collecting 30 % more than when perpendicular to the flow. Simulations and smoke visualization show that angled cylinders bend incoming streamlines, creating a lingering effect near the cylinder that can enhance deposition by diffusion. We surmise that the optimal angle arises from a trade-off between the lingering effect, which decreases with increasing angle of the cylinder, and the cylinder’s increasing projected area as it is turned more perpendicular to the flow. Using a mathematical model, we show that only cylinders at low Péclet number show improved collection at intermediate angles. Thus, we cannot rationalize the high collection rates in our wind tunnel experiments at high Péclet number. We hope that our study will inspire more research into bio-inspired particle collection of angled surfaces, and find applications in sensors and filters.

JFM classification

Multiphase and Particle-laden Flows: Particle/fluid flow
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 884 , 10 February 2020 , A34
Copyright
© 2019 Cambridge University Press

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