Ventilation Simulation in an Underground Ant Nest Structure of Camponotus japonicus Mayr

Guanghong Yang, Wei Zhou (), Jing Xu, Ming Zeng, Shengji Wu and Yijun You
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Guanghong Yang: School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
Wei Zhou: Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Jing Xu: Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Ming Zeng: Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Shengji Wu: Department of Structural Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Yijun You: Shanghai Tongmu Construction Consulting Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200092, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Ants are ancient animals on the earth and are known as excellent architects in the animal kingdom. The structure and performance of their nests are full of remarkable mysteries. At present, there are only a limited number of studies on the ventilation performance of underground ant nest structures. In this study, the nests of Camponotus japonicus Mayr were collected manually, and a three-dimensional digital model of the ant nest structure was obtained by the method of industrial CT scanning. The ventilation performance of the Camponotus japonicus Mayr nest structure was numerically simulated using the finite element analysis software, FLUENT. By changing the air inlet and outlet of the nest, the pressure changes inside the nest and the trajectory of the air flow inside the nest could be calculated and analysed, in order to explore the ventilation characteristics of the underground nest structure during natural ventilation. It was found that the ventilation environment inside the nest was stable, and that the external air flow had little effect on the life of the ants inside the nest.

Keywords: underground ant nest structure; Camponotus japonicus Mayr; industrial CT scanning; nest entrance; finite element analysis; structural model; ventilation simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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