Abstract The aerodynamic characteristics of elliptic airfoil are quite different from the case of con ventional airfoil for Reynolds number varying from about 104 to 106. In order to reveal the funda mental mechanism,...Abstract The aerodynamic characteristics of elliptic airfoil are quite different from the case of con ventional airfoil for Reynolds number varying from about 104 to 106. In order to reveal the funda mental mechanism, the unsteady flow around a stationary two-dimensional elliptic airfoil with 16% relative thickness has been simulated using unsteady Reynolds-averaged NavieStokes equations and the 7 Reot transition turbulence model at different angles of attack for flow Reynolds number of 5 x 10^5. The aerodynamic coefficients and the pressure distribution obtained by computation are in good agreement with experimental data, which indicates that the numerical method works well. Through this study, the mechanism of the unconventional aerodynamic characteristics of airfoil is analyzed and discussed based on the computational predictions coupled with the wind tunnel results. It is considered that the boundary layer transition at the leading edge and the unsteady flow separation vortices at the trailing edge are the causes of the case. Furthermore, a valuable insight into the physics of how the flow behavior affects the elliptic airfoil's aerodynamics is provided.展开更多
基金financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11372254)
文摘Abstract The aerodynamic characteristics of elliptic airfoil are quite different from the case of con ventional airfoil for Reynolds number varying from about 104 to 106. In order to reveal the funda mental mechanism, the unsteady flow around a stationary two-dimensional elliptic airfoil with 16% relative thickness has been simulated using unsteady Reynolds-averaged NavieStokes equations and the 7 Reot transition turbulence model at different angles of attack for flow Reynolds number of 5 x 10^5. The aerodynamic coefficients and the pressure distribution obtained by computation are in good agreement with experimental data, which indicates that the numerical method works well. Through this study, the mechanism of the unconventional aerodynamic characteristics of airfoil is analyzed and discussed based on the computational predictions coupled with the wind tunnel results. It is considered that the boundary layer transition at the leading edge and the unsteady flow separation vortices at the trailing edge are the causes of the case. Furthermore, a valuable insight into the physics of how the flow behavior affects the elliptic airfoil's aerodynamics is provided.