Aerodynamic Performance of a Gliding Swallowtail Butterfly Wing Model

In the present study, we perform a wind-tunnel experiment to investigate the aerodynamic performance of a gliding swallowtail-butterfly wing model having a low aspect ratio. The drag, lift and pitching moment are directly measured using a 6-axis force/torque sensor. The lift coefficient increases rapidly at attack angles less than 10° and then slowly at larger attack angles. The lift coefficient does not fall off rapidly even at quite high angles of attack, showing the characteristics of low-aspect-ratio wings. On the other hand, the drag coefficient increases more rapidly at higher angles of attack due to the increase in the effective area responsible for the drag. The maximum lift-to-drag ratio of the present modeled swallowtail butterfly wing is larger than those of wings of fruitfly and bumblebee, and even comparable to those of wings of birds such as the petrel and starling. From the measurement of pitching moment, we show that the modeled swallowtail butterfly wing has a longitudinal static stability. Flow visualization shows that the flow separated from the leading edge reattaches on the wing surface at α < 15°, forming a small separation bubble, and full separation occurs at α ≥ 15°. On the other hand, strong wing-tip vortices are observed in the wake at α ≥ 5° and they are an important source of the lift as well as the main reason for broad stall. Finally, in the absence of long hind-wing tails, the lift and longitudinal static stability are reduced, indicating that the hind-wing tails play an important role in enhancing the aerodynamic performance.     

Computational modeling of vortex breakdown control on a delta wing

We present an effort to model the development and the control of the vortex breakdown phenomenon on a delta wing. The pair of the vortices formed on the suction side of a delta wing is the major contributor to the lift generation. As the angle of attack increases, these vortices become more robust, having high vorticity values. The critical point of a delta wing operation is the moment when these vortices, after a certain angle of attack, are detached from the wing surface and wing stall occurs. In order to delay or control the vortex breakdown mechanism, various techniques have been developed. In the present work, the technique based on the use of jet-flaps is numerically investigated with computational fluid dynamics by adopting two eddy-viscosity turbulence models. The computational results are compared with the experimental data of Shih and Ding (1996). It is shown that between the two turbulence models, the more advanced one, which adopts a non-linear constitutive expression for the Reynolds-stresses, is capable to capture the vortex breakdown location for a variety of jet exit angles. The performance assessment of the models is followed by the investigation of the effect of the jet-flap on the lift and drag coefficients.     

Computation of heat transfer enhancement in a plate‐fin heat exchanger with triangular inserts and delta wing vortex generator

Longitudinal vortices disrupt the growth of the thermal boundary layer, thereby the vortex generators producing the longitudinal vortices are well known for the enhancement of heat transfer in compact heat exchangers. The present investigation determines the heat transfer characteristics with secondary flow analysis in plate fin triangular ducts with delta wing vortex generators. This geometrical configuration is investigated for various angles of attack of the wing i.e. 15°, 20°, 26° and 37° and Reynolds numbers 100 and 200. The constant wall temperature boundary condition is used. The solution of the complete Navier Stokes equation and the energy equation is carried out using the staggered grid arrangement. The performance of the combination of triangular secondary fins and delta wing with stamping on slant surfaces has also been studied. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3-D measurements of separated flow over rigid plates with spanwise periodic cambering at low Reynolds number

Measurements of the flow field around a flat plate and rigid plates with spanwise periodic cambering were performed using volumetric three-component velocimetry (V3V) at a Reynolds numbers of 28,000 at α=12° where the flow is fully separated. The Reynolds normal and shear stresses, and the streamwise, spanwise and normal components of the vorticity vector are investigated for three-dimensionality. Flow features are discussed in context of the periodic cambering and corresponding aerodynamic force measurements. The periodic cambering results in spanwise variation in the reversed-flow region, Reynolds stresses and spanwise vorticity. These spanwise variations are induced by streamwise and normal vortices of opposite directions of rotation. Moreover, measurements were carried out for the cambered plates at α=8°, where a long separation bubble exists, to further understand the behavior of the streamwise and normal vortices. These vortices become more organized and increase in strength and size at the lower angle of attack. It is also speculated that these vortices contribute to the increase in lift at and beyond the onset of stall angle of attack.     

Skin friction fields on delta wings

The normalized skin friction fields on a 65° delta wing and a 76°/40° double-delta wing are measured by using a global luminescent oil-film skin friction meter. The detailed topological structures of skin friction fields on the wings are revealed for different angles of attack and the important features are detected such as reattachment lines, secondary separation lines, vortex bursting and vortex interaction. The comparisons with the existing flow visualization results are discussed.     

Oscillatory motions of a prestrained compliant membrane caused by fluid–membrane interaction

Flow over a compliant membrane is a complex problem where the interaction between fluid and membrane determines the nature of the aerodynamic characteristics of the membrane wing. This investigation is concerned with the deformation and oscillatory motion of a membrane under aerodynamic loading. The approach is computational, but the analytical solution is also presented for a constant pressure loading. The computational results are compared with the experimental data available in the literature as well as with the present analytical solution. In this study, the values of Reynolds number are 38 416 and 141 500, and the angle of attack and prestrain range from 10° to 40° and from 0 to 0.074, respectively. This range of parameters makes the outcome of the investigation more relevant to applications involving the flight of micro air vehicles and the membrane wings of flying mammals such as bats. The computations indicate a mostly asymmetric deflection with the point of maximum camber located nearly at 40% of the chord length from the leading edge. The deflection is decreased with prestrain, and it is increased with Reynolds number. Moreover, the lift coefficient generally increases with the angle of attack. However, for Re=141 500, it increases first to a peak at 20–30° angle of attack, and then decreases. The drag coefficient is much higher than that of conventional airfoils. The membrane oscillates in the streamwise and vertical directions. The largest amplitude of oscillations is observed at 40° for Re=38 416. The oscillations are caused by the oscillatory nature of the flow due to fluid–membrane interaction and the formation of the leading edge and trailing edge vortices. Compared with a rigid membrane of the same camber, the compliant membrane has a smaller recirculation region which may lead to a delayed stall.     

Vortex structure of separated flows on model wings at low freestream velocities

Flow past model wings is experimentally investigated in a subsonic wind tunnel at large angles of attack at which the laminar boundary layer separates near the leading edge of the wing (flow stall). The object of the study was the flow structure within the separation zone. The carbon-oil visualization of surface streamlines used in the experiments showed that in the separation zone there exist one or more pairs of large-scale vortices rotating in the wing plane. Certain general properties of the vortex structures in the separation zone are found to exist, whereas the flow patterns may differ depending on the model aspect ratio, the yaw angle, and other factors.     

The aerodynamic forces and pressure distribution of a revolving pigeon wing

The aerodynamic forces acting on a revolving dried pigeon wing and a flat card replica were measured with a propeller rig, effectively simulating a wing in continual downstroke. Two methods were adopted: direct measurement of the reaction vertical force and torque via a forceplate, and a map of the pressures along and across the wing measured with differential pressure sensors. Wings were tested at Reynolds numbers up to 108,000, typical for slow-flying pigeons, and considerably above previous similar measurements applied to insect and hummingbird wing and wing models. The pigeon wing out-performed the flat card replica, reaching lift coefficients of 1.64 compared with 1.44. Both real and model wings achieved much higher maximum lift coefficients, and at much higher geometric angles of attack (43°), than would be expected from wings tested in a windtunnel simulating translating flight. It therefore appears that some high-lift mechanisms, possibly analogous to those of slow-flying insects, may be available for birds flapping with wings at high angles of attack. The net magnitude and orientation of aerodynamic forces acting on a revolving pigeon wing can be determined from the differential pressure maps with a moderate degree of precision. With increasing angle of attack, variability in the pressure signals suddenly increases at an angle of attack between 33° and 38°, close to the angle of highest vertical force coefficient or lift coefficient; stall appears to be delayed compared with measurements from wings in windtunnels.     

Large aerodynamic forces on a sweeping wing at low Reynolds number

The aerodynamic forces and flow structure of a model insect wing is studied by solving the Navier-Stokes equations numerically. After an initial start from rest, the wing is made to execute an azimuthal rotation (sweeping) at a large angle of attack and constant angular velocity. The Reynolds number (Re) considered in the present note is 480 (Re is based on the mean chord length of the wing and the speed at 60% wing length from the wing root). During the constant-speed sweeping motion, the stall is absent and large and approximately constant lift and drag coefficients can be maintained. The mechanism for the absence of the stall or the maintenance of large aerodynamic force coefficients is as follows. Soon after the initial start, a vortex ring, which consists of the leading-edge vortex (LEV), the starting vortex, and the two wing-tip vortices, is formed in the wake of the wing. During the subsequent motion of the wing, a base-to-tip spanwise flow converts the vorticity in the LEV to the wing tip and the LEV keeps an approximately constant strength. This prevents the LEV from shedding. As a result, the size of the vortex ring increases approximately linearly with time, resulting in an approximately constant time rate of the first moment of vorticity, or approximately constant lift and drag coefficients. The variation of the relative velocity along the wing span causes a pressure gradient along the wingspan. The base-to-tip spanwise flow is mainly maintained by the pressure-gradient force. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10232010)     

Measurement of unsteady boundary layer developed on an oscillating airfoil using multiple hot-film sensors

 The spatial-temporal progressions of the leading-edge stagnation, separation and reattachment points, and the state of the unsteady boundary layer developed on the upper surface of a 6 in. chord NACA 0012 airfoil model, oscillated sinusoidally within and beyond the static-stall angle, were measured using 140 closely-spaced, multiple hot-film sensors (MHFS). The MHFS measurements show that (i) the laminar separation point and transition were delayed with increasing α and the reattachment and relaminarization were promoted with decreasing α, relative to the static case, (ii) the pitchup motion helped to keep the boundary layer attached to higher angles of attack over that could be obtained statically, (iii) the dynamic stall process was initiated by the turbulent flow separation in the leading-edge region as well as by the onset of flow reversal in the trailing-edge region, and (iv) the dynamic stall process was found not to originate with the bursting of a laminar separation bubble, but with a breakdown of the turbulent boundary layer. The MHFS measurements also show that the flow unsteadiness caused by airfoil motion as well as by the flow disturbances can be detected simultaneously and nonintrusively. The MHFS characterizations of the unsteady boundary layers are useful in the study of unsteady separated flowfields generated by rapidly maneuvering aircraft, helicopter rotor blades, and wing energy machines. Received: 17 June 1997 / Accepted: 10 December 1997     

Evolution of disturbances in a laminarized supersonic boundary layer on a swept wing

Experimental data on stability of a three-dimensional supersonic boundary layer on a swept wing are presented. The experiments are performed on a swept wing model with a lenticular profile with a 40° sweep angle of the leading edge at a zero angle of attack. The supersonic boundary layer on the swept wing was laminarized with the use of distributed roughness. A pioneering study of interaction of traveling and stationary disturbances is performed. Some specific features of this interaction are identified. The main reason for turbulence emergence in a supersonic boundary layer on a swept wing is demonstrated to be secondary crossflow instability. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 40–46, March–April, 2008.     

Experimental investigation on tip vortices and aerodynamics

The tip vortices and aerodynamics of a NACA0012 wing in the vicinity of the ground were studied in a wind tunnel. The wing tip vortex structures and lift/drag forces were measured by a seven-hole probe and a force balance, respectively. The evolution of the flow structures and aerodynamics with a ground height were analyzed. The vorticity of tip vortices was found to reduce with the decreasing of the ground height, and the position of vortex-core moved gradually to the outboard of the wing tip. Therefore, the down-wash flow induced by the tip vortices was weakened. However, vortex breakdown occurred as the wing lowered to the ground. From the experimental results of aerodynamics, the maximum lift-to-drag ratio was observed when the angle of attack was 2.5° and the ground clearance was 0.2.     

Experiments on transonic limit-cycle-flutter of a flexible swept wing

The aeroelastic behavior of wing models is nonlinear particularly in the transonic speed range. The interaction between aerodynamic and structural forces can lead to the occurrence of Limit-Cycle Oscillations (LCOs). If in addition the wing model is flexible and backward swept, the kinematic coupling between bending and torsion makes the situation even more complex.In the research project “Aerostabil” such a wing was investigated, which was equipped with pressure transducers in three sections and accelerometers. The experiments were performed in the adaptive test section of the transonic wind tunnel TWG in Göttingen. Already Dietz et al. (2003) have reported about experimental details and preliminary results. Based on these data Bendiksen (2008) studied numerically LCO-flutter behavior using a very similar, theoretical model (G-wing) and Stickan et al. (2014) used the original data as a LCO flutter test case. The influence of flexibility on the steady aerodynamics of the wing was described in Schewe & Mai (2018). In this paper now the flutter experiments with the same flexible model were analyzed systematically in the transonic range 0.84 <Ma <0.89 and for six angles of attack from 1.46°to 2.7°. Maps of stability, LCO amplitudes and instantaneous pressure distributions are presented. It was found that unstable regions are islands, whose extent depends on the angle of attack. A LCO test case, already treated in the literature is examined in more detail. The analysis of the time functions showed that during LCO-flutter the motion induced aerodynamic sectional lift forces particularly in the outer wing are asymmetric and thus acting as amplitude limiter. The reason for the asymmetry lies in the shock/boundary layer interaction. The test case, containing the stages of built-up and the transition to the limit cycle provides an excellent opportunity for improving our knowledge about LCOs and for code validation purposes.     

Influence of pitching angle of incidence on the dynamic stall behavior of a symmetric airfoil

This study presents the influence of pitch angle of an airfoil on its near-field vortex structure as well as the aerodynamic loads during a dynamic stall process. Dynamic stall behavior in a sinusoidally pitching airfoil is usually analyzed at low to medium reduced frequencies and with the maximum angle of attack of the airfoil not exceeding 25°. In this work, we study dynamic stall of a symmetric airfoil at medium to high reduced frequencies even as the maximum angle of attack goes from 25° to 45°. The evolution and growth of the laminar separation bubble, also known as a dynamic stall vortex, at the leading edge and the trailing edge are studied as the pitch cycle goes from the minimum to the maximum angle of attack. The effect of reduced frequencies on the vortex structure as well as the aerodynamic load coefficients is investigated. The reduced frequency is shown to be a bifurcation parameter triggering period doubling behavior. However, the bifurcation pattern is dependent on the variation of the pitch angle of incidence of the airfoil.     

细长体背风面横向非对称分离的研究

用数值模拟方法研究了超声速情况下，无限长细长体背风面的涡结构。数值模拟的出发方程和计算格式分别为全Ｎ－Ｓ方程和二阶空间精度的ＴＶＤ格式。数值结果给出了圆锥、半球柱体和椭圆锥在不同攻角下的流场结果。结果表明圆锥在攻角α＝１５°，２０°和２５°时背风面呈现明显的稳定非对称横向分离，而半球柱体和椭圆锥在３２．５°和２５°时背风面均未出现非对称的横向分离结构。     

High-fidelity simulations of moving and flexible airfoils at low Reynolds numbers

The present paper highlights results derived from the application of a high-fidelity simulation technique to the analysis of low-Reynolds-number transitional flows over moving and flexible canonical configurations motivated by small natural and man-made flyers. This effort addresses three separate fluid dynamic phenomena relevant to small fliers, including: laminar separation and transition over a stationary airfoil, transition effects on the dynamic stall vortex generated by a plunging airfoil, and the effect of flexibility on the flow structure above a membrane airfoil. The specific cases were also selected to permit comparison with available experimental measurements. First, the process of transition on a stationary SD7003 airfoil section over a range of Reynolds numbers and angles of attack is considered. Prior to stall, the flow exhibits a separated shear layer which rolls up into spanwise vortices. These vortices subsequently undergo spanwise instabilities, and ultimately breakdown into fine-scale turbulent structures as the boundary layer reattaches to the airfoil surface. In a time-averaged sense, the flow displays a closed laminar separation bubble which moves upstream and contracts in size with increasing angle of attack for a fixed Reynolds number. For a fixed angle of attack, as the Reynolds number decreases, the laminar separation bubble grows in vertical extent producing a significant increase in drag. For the lowest Reynolds number considered (Re _c  = 10⁴), transition does not occur over the airfoil at moderate angles of attack prior to stall. Next, the impact of a prescribed high-frequency small-amplitude plunging motion on the transitional flow over the SD7003 airfoil is investigated. The motion-induced high angle of attack results in unsteady separation in the leading edge and in the formation of dynamic-stall-like vortices which convect downstream close to the airfoil. At the lowest value of Reynolds number (Re _c  = 10⁴), transition effects are observed to be minor and the dynamic stall vortex system remains fairly coherent. For Re _c  = 4 × 10⁴, the dynamic-stall vortex system is laminar at is inception, however shortly afterwards, it experiences an abrupt breakdown associated with the onset of spanwise instability effects. The computed phased-averaged structures for both values of Reynolds number are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the effect of structural compliance on the unsteady flow past a membrane airfoil is investigated. The membrane deformation results in mean camber and large fluctuations which improve aerodynamic performance. Larger values of lift and a delay in stall are achieved relative to a rigid airfoil configuration. For Re _c = 4.85 × 10⁴, it is shown that correct prediction of the transitional process is critical to capturing the proper membrane structural response.     

Study of Stall Development Around an Airfoil by Means of High Fidelity Large Eddy Simulation

Large Eddy Simulation of the bubble bursting process over a NACA-0012 airfoil at $Re_{c}=10^{5}$ indicates that the flow at a fixed angle of attack below the critical stall value exhibits a short (with respect to Gaster’s criteria, Gaster, Number CP-4 in AGARD, 1966) Laminar Separation Bubble (LSB) at the leading edge of the airfoil. The airfoil is smoothly pitched-up through the static stall angle to reproduce the bursting process of the short LSB that initiates a leading edge stall typical of low Reynolds number airfoil. The temporal evolution of characteristic length scales is monitored during the transient flow. Particular attention is paid to the characteristic time involved during the growth and bursting of the LSB. A recent empirical bursting criterion is used to analyse the LES results.     

Navier–Stokes computation of transonic vortices over a round leading edge delta wing

A 3D Navier–Stokes solver has been developed to simulate laminar compressible flow over quadrilateral wings. The finite volume technique is employed for spatial discretization with a novel variant for the viscous fluxes. An explicit three-stage Runge–Kutta scheme is used for time integration, taking local time steps according to the linear stability condition derived for application to the Navier–Stokes equations. The code is applied to compute primary and secondary separation vortices at transonic speeds over a 65° swept delta wing with round leading edges and cropped tips. The results are compared with experimental data and Euler solutions, and Reynolds number effects are investigated.     

High-fidelity numerical simulation of the flow field around a NACA-0012 aerofoil from the laminar separation bubble to a full stall

In the present work, large eddy simulations of the flow field around a NACA-0012 aerofoil near stall conditions are performed at a Reynolds number of 5 × 10⁴, Mach number of 0.4, and at various angles of attack. The results show the following: at relatively low angles of attack, the bubble is present and intact; at moderate angles of attack, the laminar separation bubble bursts and generates a global low-frequency flow oscillation; and at relatively high angles of attack, the laminar separation bubble becomes an open bubble that leads the aerofoil into a full stall. Time histories of the aerodynamic coefficients showed that the low-frequency oscillation phenomenon and its associated physics are indeed captured in the simulations. The aerodynamic coefficients compared to previous and recent experimental data with acceptable accuracy. Spectral analysis identified a dominant low-frequency mode featuring the periodic separation and reattachment of the flow field. At angles of attack α ≤ 9.3°, the low-frequency mode featured bubble shedding rather than bubble bursting and reformation. The underlying mechanism behind the quasi-periodic self-sustained low-frequency flow oscillation is discussed in detail.     

Low Reynolds number aerodynamics of free-to-roll low aspect ratio wings

The aerodynamics of thin, flat-plate wings of various planforms (rectangular, elliptical and Zimmerman) have been studied in free-to-roll experiments in a wind tunnel. Non-zero trim angles at low angles of attack, self-induced roll oscillations with increasing angle of attack and even autorotation in some cases were observed. The rectangular wings with round leading-edge had non-zero trim angles at low incidences due to the asymmetric development of the three-dimensional separation bubble at these low Reynolds numbers. With increasing angle of attack, the bubble increases in length and once reattachment is lost, large amplitude roll oscillations develop. The Strouhal number of the roll oscillations is of the order of 10⁻², which is in the same range as those expected for small aircraft experiencing atmospheric gusts. Velocity measurements revealed that variations in the strength of the vortices drove the rolling motion. At the mean roll angle, because of the time lag in the strength of the vortices, an asymmetric flow is generated, which results in a net rolling moment in the direction of the rolling motion.