Computation of field structure and aerodynamic characteristics of delta wings at high angles of attack

A numerical investigation of the structure of the vortical flowfield over delta wings at high angles of attack in longitudinal and with small sideslip angle is presented. Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes numerical simulations were carried out to predict the complex leeward-side flowfield characteristics that are dominated by the effect of the breakdown of the leading-edge vortices. The methods that analyze the flowfield structure quantitatively were given by using flowfield data from the computational results. In the region before the vortex breakdown, the vortex axes are approximated as being straight line. As the angle of attack increases, the vortex axes are closer to the root chord, and farther away from the wing surface. Along the vortex axes, as the adverse pressure gradients occur, the axial velocity decreases, that is, A is negativee, so the vortex is unstable, and it is possible to breakdown. The occurrence of the breakdown results in the instability of lateral motion for a delta wing, and the lateral moment diverges after a small perturbation occurs at high angles of attack. However, after a critical angle of attack is reached the vortices breakdown completely at the wing apex, and the instability resulting from the vortex breakdown disappears.     

VORTEX BREAKDOWN FROM A PITCHING DELTA WING INCIDENT UPON A PLATE: FLOW STRUCTURE AS THE ORIGIN OF BUFFET LOADING

A delta wing is subjected to both static and dynamic variations of angle-of-attack; the vortices from the wing impinge upon a stationary plate. A technique of high-image-density particle image velocimetry is employed to compare the patterns of vortex development with and without the impingement plate. For the limiting case of static variations of angle-of-attack, the presence of the plate exerts a large influence on the onset of vortex breakdown. In contrast, dynamic (unsteady) variation of angle-of-attack yields changes of breakdown location that are generally similar for cases with and without the impingement plate. The detailed structure of the vortex breakdown-plate interaction is represented by patterns of instantaneous velocity and vorticity, which serve as the origin of buffet-induced loading of the surface of the plate.     

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.     

Laser-scanning particle image velocimetry applied to a delta wing in transient maneuver

A laser scanning technique, which utilizes a galvanometer scanner to produce particle-image photographs, is employed to investigate the flow over a delta wing undergoing pitching maneuvers at a high angle of attack. Use of a unique forcing system and a large-scale prism arrangement allow characterization of the instantaneous velocity field over the entire crossflow plane at a desired angle of attack.Contours of constant streamwise vorticity are calculated from the crossflow velocity field at various pitching rates. The vorticity distribution occurring during the pitch-up motion differs substantially from that on the stationary wing at the same angle of attack. During the pitch-up motion, the leading-edge vortex is remarkably coherent, in contrast to the disordered structure on the stationary wing. During the corresponding pitch-down motion, the vorticity distribution is quite similar to that on the stationary wing at the same angle of attack. This behavior is evident for a range of pitching rates.     

Vortex breakdown and its control on delta wings

In order to investigate the breakdown of vortices generated by the leading edge of delta wings, LDA-measurements have been performed in the flow on the suction side of a delta wing of aspect ratio A = 2. The measurements describe the growth of the vortex along the leading edge and reveal a certain radial structure upstream of the breakdown point. Moreover they shed light on the mechanism responsible for the onset of vortex breakdown on the suction side of a wing.

The occurrence of the breakdown phenomenon on a delta wing may be prevented or at least retarded by the use of spanwise blowing jets. The interaction of vortex and jets giving rise to these effects will also be discussed with the help of measured velocity profiles.     

三角翼大迎角流场结构和气动力特性的数值分析研究

采用数值计算方法对亚音速三角翼纵向及带有小侧滑情况下的流场结构和气动力特性进行了计算。文中给出了三角翼大迎角纵向情况下气动力、机翼前缘分离涡轴线位置和旋涡破裂位置随迎角的变化规律，以及带有横侧小扰动和小侧滑情况下流场结构的非对称性对气动力的影响。计算结果表明与实验结果符合较好。     

Multisensor Hot Wire Vorticity Probe Measurements of the Formation Field of Two Corotating Vortices

Experimental evidence is reported, regarding the formation of a pair of co-rotating tip vortices by a split wing configuration, consisting of two half wings at equal and opposite angles of attack. Simultaneous measurements of the three-dimensional vector fields of velocity and vorticity were conducted on a cross plane at a downstream distance corresponding to 0.3 cord lengths (near wake), using an in-house constructed 12-sensor hot wire anemometry vorticity probe. The probe consists of three closely separated orthogonal 4-wire velocity sensor arrays, measuring simultaneously the three-dimensional velocity vector at three closely spaced locations on a cross plane of the flow filed. This configuration makes possible the estimation of spatial velocity derivatives by means of a forward difference scheme of first order accuracy. Velocity measurements obtained with an X-wire are also presented for comparison. In this near wake location, the flow field is dictated by the pressure distribution established by the flow around the wings, mobilizing large masses of air and leading to the roll up of fluid sheets. Fluid streams penetrating between the wings collide, creating on the cross plane flow a stagnation point and an “impermeable” line joining the two vortex centres. Along this line fluid is directed towards the two vortices, expanding their cores and increasing their separation distance. This feeding process generates a dipole of opposite sign streamwise mean vorticity within each vortex. The rotational flow within the vortices obligates an adverse streamwise pressure gradient leading to a significant streamwise velocity deficit characterizing the vortices. The turbulent flow field is the result of temporal changes in the intensity of the vortex formation and changes in the position of the cores (wandering).     

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)     

Vortex stretching in a laminar boundary layer flow

 A new technique to produce controlled stretched vortices is presented. The initial vorticity comes from a laminar boundary layer flow and the stretching is parallel to the initial vorticity. This low velocity flow enables direct observations of the formation and destabilization of vortices. Visualizations are combined with quasi-instantaneous measurements of a full velocity profile obtained with an ultra-sonic pulsed Doppler velocimeter. Several modes of destabilization are observed and include pairing of two vortices, hairpin deformation, and vortex breakdown into a coil shape. Received: 3 April 1996/ Accepted: 4 October 1996     

Vortex breakdown over a delta wing with oscillating leading edge flaps

 The effects of oscillating leading-edge flaps on leading-edge vortices and vortex breakdown were investigated for a delta wing with upward-deflected flaps. The variation of breakdown location revealed hysteresis loops. The time-averaged breakdown location over one cycle may move upstream or downstream compared to the quasi-steady case, depending on the amplitude of flap oscillations and angle of attack. Measurements of the phase-averaged velocity upstream of breakdown did not reveal any correlation to the response of breakdown location. The effect of oscillating flaps is largest when the breakdown location is near the trailing-edge region in the static case. Received: 2 February 1997/Accepted: 7 April 1997     

Laminar co-rotating Batchelor vortex merging

The dynamics of laminar co-rotating vortex pairs without axial flow have been recently thoroughly studied through theoretical, experimental and numerical studies, which revealed different instabilities contributing to the decay of the vortices. In this paper, the objective is to extend the analysis to the case of co-rotating vortices with axial flow at low Reynolds numbers. A high-order incompressible Navier–Stokes flow solver is used. The momentum equations are spatially discretized on a staggered mesh by finite differences and all derivatives are evaluated with 10th order compact finite difference schemes with RK-4 temporal discretization. The initial condition is a linear superposition of two co-rotating circular Batchelor vortices with q = 1. It is found that there is an initial evolution that resembles the evolution that single q = 1 vortices go through. Azimuthal disturbances grow and result in the appearance of large-scale helical sheets of vorticity. With the development of these instability waves, the axial velocity deficit is weakened. The redistribution of both angular and axial momentum between the core and the surroundings drives the vortex core to a more stable configuration, with a higher q value. After these processes, the evolution is somewhat similar to a pair of co-rotating Lamb–Oseen vortices. A three-dimensional instability develops, with a large band of unstable modes, with the most amplified mode corresponding scaling with the vortex initial separation distance. P. J. S. A. Ferreira de Sousa wishes to acknowledge the support of FCT—SFRH/BD/1129/2000 and SFRH/BPD/21778/2005.     

Experiments on the unsteady nature of vortex breakdown over delta wings

 Vortex breakdown location over delta wings is not steady and exhibits fluctuations along the axis of the vortices. Experiments on the nature and source of these fluctuations were carried out. Spectral analysis and other statistical concepts were used to quantify the unsteady behaviour of vortex breakdown location obtained from flow visualization. The fluctuations consist of quasi-periodic oscillations and high-frequency low amplitude displacements. The quasi-periodic oscillations are due to an interaction between the vortices, which cause the antisymmetric motion of breakdown locations for left and right vortices. The oscillations are larger and more coherent as the time-averaged breakdown locations get closer to each other as angle of attack or sweep angle is varied. The frequency of this organized motion is much smaller than the frequency of any other known instabilities. On the other hand, the most probable frequency for the high-frequency small-amplitude fluctuations of breakdown location is in the same range as the frequency of Kelvin–Helmholtz instability of the separated shear layer. A mechanism for the interaction between the vortices causing the oscillations of breakdown location was proposed. When a splitter plate was placed in the symmetry plane of the wing, the large amplitude quasi-periodic oscillations of breakdown location were suppressed. Received: 10 March 1998 / Accepted: 27 October 1998     

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.     

Seven hole probe measurement of leading edge vortex flows

This paper discusses the use of a seven-hole probe on measurements of leading edge vortices of highly sweep delta wing planforms. Intrusive probe data taken with the pressure probe were compared with non-intrusive measurements made with laser Doppler anemometry system. In addition to probe size, the natural position of breakdown and the sweep angle of the wing are also factors in determining sensitivity of the flow to probe interference. At low angles of attack vortex breakdown does not occur in the vincinity of the model and the seven hole probe was found to yield reasonably accurate measurements. When the angle of attack of the model was increased so that vortex breakdown was near the trailing edge, introducing the probe over the wing would cause the breakdown position to move ahead of the probe. However, when breakdown naturally occurred ahead of the mid-chord of the wing the vortices were found to be less sensitive to a probe placed behind the breakdown point. Vortex breakdown on a lower swept wing is found to be more sensitive to interference. Near the breakdown region, seven hole probe measurement is less accurate due to a combination of probe interference and flow reversal.     

Non-uniform recovery of vortex breakdown over delta wing in response to blowing along vortex core

The transient characteristics of vortical structure over delta wing are studied experimentally when subject to single along-core blowing perturbation. Two half delta wing models with different sweep angle = 60° and = 75° are investigated in this study. For = 75°, the transient location of the onset of vortex breakdown moves upstream monotonously toward the unperturbed location. However, for =60°, there exists a chordwise region where the upstream propagation of the onset location of vortex breakdown is temporarily delayed. This delay causes the recovery process (upstream propagation) of the onset location of vortex breakdown to be non-uniform. In fact, this non-uniform recovery may take on different appearance such as a plateau or overshoots and will last for several times of the convective time scaleC/U . Furthermore, the location of chordwise region corresponding to this delay depends strongly upon the angle of attack (AOA). In additions, the non-uniform recovering characteristic of the onset of vortex breakdown may not be observed at high AOA if the blowing rate is too low. The mechanism governing the non-uniform recovering characteristic is clearly verified through the LDA measurement and the phase-locked flow visualization. Evidently the mutual interaction between the primary vortex structure and the secondary vortex is the key mechanism that leads to non-uniform recovering character over delta wing with sweep angle of 60°The authors are grateful for the support of the this investigation from National Science Foundation of the Republic of China under the grant no. NSC-83-0424-E-005-006.     

Investigation of vortex development on accelerating spanwise-flexible wings

The effect of spanwise flexibility on the development of leading-edge vortices for impulsively started flat plates at low Reynolds numbers has been investigated. A theoretical model is proposed, based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, coupled with a vortex growth model based on vorticity flux through a leading-edge shear layer. The model was validated for rigid and flexible flat plates undergoing a towing motion at an angle-of-attack of 45°. It is shown that a phase-delay in lift and drag generation occurs between rigid and flexible cases. The model indicates decreasing vorticity along the span as the wing is accelerated and begins to bend. Particle image velocimetry measurements conducted at three different spanwise planes showed a delay in vortex growth along the span, despite a uniform spanwise circulation. This uniform spanwise distribution of circulation is in contrast to the quasi-two-dimensional model, which predicted a reduced circulation near the profile tip where plate motion was delayed. It is therefore concluded that circulation must be dynamically redistributed through vorticity convection during the impulsive motion.     

Vortex stretching and filaments

This paper presents a new technique to produce controlled stretched vortices. Intense elliptical vortices are created by stretching of an initial vorticity sheet. The initial vorticity comes from a laminar boundary layer flow and the stretching is parallel to the vorticity vectors. This low velocity flow enables direct observation of the formation and destabilization of vortices. Visualizations are combined with quasi-instantaneous measurements of a full velocity profile. The velocity profile is obtained with an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler velocimeter. The evolution of the central diameter of the vortices is related to the stretching. It is observed that destabilization occurs by pairing of two vortices, by hairpin deformation, and by breakdown of vortices into a “coil shape”.     

Cross-Stream Vorticity Field Induced by Streamwise Vortices in Unbounded and Wall-Bounded Shear Flows

This computational study examines the unsteady cross-stream vorticity structures that form when one or more streamwise vortices are immersed in homogeneous and boundary-layer shear flows. A quasi-two-dimensional limit is considered in which the velocity and vorticity fields, while still possessing three nonzero components, have vanishing gradient in the streamwise direction. This idealization is suitable to applications such as streamwise vortices that occur along a ship hull or airplane fuselage and it can be used as an idealized representation of the quasi-streamwise vortices in the near-wall region of a turbulent boundary layer. In this quasi-two-dimensional idealization, the streamwise velocity has no effect on the cross-stream velocity associated with the vortex. However, the vortex acts to modify the cross-stream vorticity component, resulting in regions of the flow with strong deviations in streamwise velocity. This paper examines the complex structures that form as the cross-stream vorticity field is wrapped up by the vortex and the effect of these structures on the streamwise velocity field, first for vortices immersed in homogeneous shear flow and then for vortices immersed in a boundary layer along a flat wall. Received 2 January 2002 and accepted 13 August 2002 Published online 3 December 2002 RID="*" ID="*" This project was supported by the Office of Naval Research under Grant Number N00014-01-1-0015. Dr. Thomas Swain is the program manager. Communicated by T.B. Gatski     

Three-dimensional flow structure on a maneuvering wing

Unsteady plunging (heaving) of a wing in the form of a flat plate can give rise to pronounced axial flow in the small-scale leading-edge vortex, during its initial stage of formation. Opposing axial flows along the vortex interact at the plane of symmetry giving rise to large-scale patterns of streamwise-oriented vorticity, which can dominate the tip vortices over part of the oscillation cycle.     

Controlling the near vortex wake of a swept half-wing by means of mini-flaps

The effect of mini-flaps on the flow pattern in the near vortex wake behind a model swept half-wing is investigated. The distributions of the time-average flow velocity were measured in a subsonic wind tunnel, in a section normal to the freestream velocity vector located at a distance of 3.8 wing half-spans from its trailing edge. When mini-flaps are mounted on both upper and lower wing surfaces, two vortices (tip and auxiliary) of the same sign are observable in the above-mentioned flow section; they are separated by an extended region of vorticity of the opposite sign. The model angle-of-attack effect on the intensities of the tip and auxiliary vortices is estimated.