Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences >
Numerical investigation of natural convection heat transfer for toucan beak with different temperatures
Received date: 2024-03-15
Revised date: 2024-04-18
Online published: 2024-05-22
This study investigates the heat transfer characteristics of the Toco Toucan’s beak, which is known for its unique structural features and strong heat exchange capabilities, using natural convection numerical simulations in environments of 30 ℃ and 15 ℃, respectively. Temperature contours at different positions along the length of the beak were extracted. It was observed that the heat transfer efficiency of the beak is higher in high-temperature environments, whereas in low-temperature environments, only a distinct temperature boundary layer near the skull is evident. Analysis revealed significant variations in the local Rayleigh number (Rax ) near the skull in low-temperature environments, while Rax in the anterior midsection of the beak remains relatively small, resulting in less pronounced convective heat exchange in this region. Streamline diagrams illustrate that in high-temperature environments, the entrainment effect at the tip of the beak alleviates the heat exchange deficiency caused by the small surface area, effectively utilizing every part of the beak’s dissipating surface. However, in low-temperature environments, the entrainment effect of the beak is concentrated near the skull, resulting in inevitable heat loss. By analyzing three dimensionless numbers, Cp, Cf, and Nu, it was found that Cp values in the Maxilla are negative in both environments, promoting the influx of cold air into the boundary layer and improving heat exchange efficiency by reducing temperature differentials caused by preheating effects. Particularly in low-temperature environments, Cp and Cfvalues in the anterior midsection of the beak are almost zero, while Nu stabilizes at a relatively small value, minimizing heat loss from the beak’s surface. The above research results quantitatively elucidated the heat exchange characteristics of bird beaks. Through further studies, it is hoped to provide reference for exploring the geographical distribution of toucans.
Key words: Toucan; beak heat exchange; natural convection; biological heat transfer
Xing HUANG , Jianchao MU , Jie LIU , Yanbin HAO . Numerical investigation of natural convection heat transfer for toucan beak with different temperatures[J]. Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2026 , 43(1) : 33 -41 . DOI: 10.7523/j.ucas.2024.027
| [1] | Pigot A L, Sheard C, Miller E T, et al. Macroevolutionary convergence connects morphological form to ecological function in birds[J]. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2020, 4(2): 230-239. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-1070-4 . |
| [2] | Miles D B, Ricklefs R E. The correlation between ecology and morphology in deciduous forest passerine birds[J]. Ecology, 1984, 65(5): 1629-1640. DOI: 10.2307/1939141 . |
| [3] | Whelan C J, Wenny D G, Marquis R J. Ecosystem services provided by birds[J]. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2008, 1134: 25-60. DOI: 10.1196/annals.1439.003 . |
| [4] | Morrison M L. Bird populations as indicators of environmental change[M]// Current Ornithology. Boston, MA: Springer, 1986: 429-451.10.1007/978-1-4615-6784-4_10. |
| [5] | Tattersall G J, Arnaout B, Symonds M R E. The evolution of the avian bill as a thermoregulatory organ[J]. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 2017, 92(3): 1630-1656. DOI: 10.1111/brv.12299 . |
| [6] | Tattersall G J, Andrade D V, Abe A S. Heat exchange from the toucan bill reveals a controllable vascular thermal radiator[J]. Science, 2009, 325(5939): 468-470. DOI: 10.1126/science.1175553 . |
| [7] | van de Ven T M F N, Martin R O, Vink T J F, et al. Regulation of heat exchange across the hornbill beak: functional similarities with toucans?[J]. PLoS One, 2016, 11(5): e0154768. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154768 . |
| [8] | Hughes A L. Evolution of bill size in relation to body size in toucans and hornbills (Aves: Piciformes And Bucerotiformes)[J]. Zoologia (Curitiba), 2014, 31(3): 256-263. DOI: 10.1590/s1984-46702014000300007 . |
| [9] | Friedman N R, Harmá?ková L, Economo E P, et al. Smaller beaks for colder winters: thermoregulation drives beak size evolution in Australasian songbirds[J]. Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution, 2017, 71(8): 2120-2129. DOI: 10.1111/evo.13274 . |
| [10] | Genbrugge A, Adriaens D, De Kegel B, et al. Structural tissue organization in the beak of Java and Darwin’s finches[J]. Journal of Anatomy, 2012, 221(5): 383-393. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2012.01561.x . |
| [11] | Greenberg R, Cadena V, Danner R M, et al. Heat loss may explain bill size differences between birds occupying different habitats[J]. PLoS One, 2012, 7(7): e40933. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040933 . |
| [12] | Symonds M R E, Tattersall G J. Geographical variation in bill size across bird species provides evidence for Allen’s rule[J]. The American Naturalist, 2010, 176(2): 188-197. DOI: 10.1086/653666 . |
| [13] | Seki Y, Schneider M S, Meyers M A. Structure and mechanical behavior of a toucan beak[J]. Acta Materialia, 2005, 53(20): 5281-5296. DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2005.04.048 . |
| [14] | Kotzen B. An investigation of shade under six different tree species of the Negev Desert towards their potential use for enhancing micro-climatic conditions in landscape architectural development[J]. Journal of Arid Environments, 2003, 55(2): 231-274. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-1963(03)00030-2 . |
| [15] | Rohsenow W M, Hartnett J P, Cho Y I. Handbook of heat transfer[M]. Array New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998. |
| [16] | Liu J, Liu H, Zhen Q, et al. Laminar natural convection heat transfer from a pair of attached horizontal cylinders set in a vertical array[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2017, 115: 1004-1019. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2017.01.029 . |
| [17] | Liu J, Liu H, Zhen Q, et al. Numerical investigation of the laminar natural convection heat transfer from two horizontally attached horizontal cylinders[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2017, 104: 517-532. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2016.08.075 . |
| [18] | Wang D C, Shi H Y, Lian Z Y, et al. Numerical study of the laminar natural convection heat transfer from three attached horizontal isothermal cylinders[J]. Thermal Science, 2022, 26(6 Part A): 4797-4808. DOI: 10.2298/tsci211226158w . |
| [19] | Miaoulis I N, Heilman B D. Butterfly thin films serve as solar collectors[J]. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 1998, 91(1): 122-127. DOI: 10.1093/aesa/91.1.122 . |
| [20] | Metwally S, Martínez Comesa?a S, Zarzyka M, et al. Thermal insulation design bioinspired by microstructure study of penguin feather and polar bear hair[J]. Acta Biomaterialia, 2019, 91: 270-283. DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.04.031 . |
| [21] | Morgan V T. The overall convective heat transfer from smooth circular cylinders[M]//Advances in Heat Transfer. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1975: 199-264. DOI: 10.1016/s0065-2717(08)70075-3 . |
| [22] | Boetcher S K S. Natural convection from circular cylinders[M]. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2014. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-08132-8 . |
| [23] | Midtg?rd U. The Rete tibiotarsale and arteriovenous association in the hind limb of birds: a comparative morphological study on counter-current heat exchange systems[J]. Acta Zoologica, 1981, 62(2): 67-87. DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.1981.tb00617.x . |
| [24] | McQueen A, Barnaby R, Symonds M R E, et al. Birds are better at regulating heat loss through their legs than their bills: implications for body shape evolution in response to climate[J]. Biology Letters, 2023, 19(11): 20230373. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0373 . |
/
| 〈 |
|
〉 |