Effect of mach number on high-subsonic and low-Reynolds-number flows around airfoils

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (14n16) ◽  
pp. 2040112
Author(s):  
Jian-Hua Xu ◽  
Wen-Ping Song ◽  
Zhong-Hua Han ◽  
Zi-Hao Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Mach Number ◽  
Reverse Flow ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Attack Angle ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Flow Vortex

High-subsonic and low-Reynolds-number flow is a special aerodynamic problem associated with near space propellers and Mars aircrafts. The flow around airfoils and the corresponding aerodynamic performance are different from the incompressible flow at low-Reynolds-number, due to complex shock wave-laminar separation bubble interaction. The objective of this paper is to figure out the effect of Mach number on aerodynamic performance and special flow structure of airfoil. An in-house Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solver coupled with [Formula: see text] transition model is employed to simulate the flows around the E387 airfoil. The results show that the lift slope is larger than [Formula: see text] in the linear region. No stall occurs even at an attack angle of [Formula: see text]. With increase of Mach number, lift coefficient decreases when attack angle is below [Formula: see text]. However, once the angle of attack exceeds [Formula: see text], higher Mach number corresponds to higher lift coefficient. In addition, the strength and number of shock waves are very sensitive to Mach number. With increase of Mach number, the region of reverse flow vortex near transition location becomes smaller and finally disappears, while a new reverse flow vortex appears near the trailing edge and becomes larger.

Comparative Investigation of Laminar Separation Bubble on a Wing at Low Reynolds Number

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
M.P. Uthra ◽  
A. Daniel Antony
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Laminar Separation Bubble ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Air Vehicles

Most admirable and least known features of low Reynolds number flyers are their aerodynamics. Due to the advancements in low Reynolds number applications such as Micro Air vehicles (MAV), Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) and wind turbines, researchers’ concentrates on Low Reynolds number aerodynamics and its effect on aerodynamic performance. The Laminar Separation Bubble (LSB) plays a deteriorating role in affecting the aerodynamic performance of the wings. The parametric study has been performed to analyse the flow around cambered, uncambered wings with different chord and Reynolds number in order to understand the better flow characteristics, LSB and three dimensional flow structures. The computational results are compared with experimental results to show the exact location of LSB. The presence of LSB in all cases is evident and it also affects the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing. There is a strong formation of vortex in the suction side of the wing which impacts the LSB and transition. The vortex structures impact on the LSB is more and it also increases the strength of the LSB throughout the span wise direction.

scholarly journals Aerodynamic Performance of Micro Aerial Wing Structures at Low Reynolds Number

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. D. DWIVEDI ◽  
Vasishta BHARGAVA ◽  
P. M. V. RAO ◽  
Donepudi JAGADEESH
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Panel Method ◽  
Experiment Data ◽  
Wing Structures ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Good Agreement

Corrugations are folds on a surface as found on wings of dragon fly insects. Although they fly at relatively lower altitudes its wings are adapted for better aerodynamic and aero-elastic characteristics. In the present work, three airfoil geometries were studied using the 2-D panel method to evaluate the aerodynamic performance for low Reynolds number. The experiments were conducted in wind tunnel for incompressible flow regime to demonstrate the coefficients of lift drag and glide ratio at two Reynolds numbers 1.9x104 and 1.5x105 and for angles of attack ranging between 00 and 160. The panel method results have been validated using the current and existing experiment data as well as with the computational work from cited literature. A good agreement between the experimental and the panel methods were found for low angles of attack. The results showed that till 80 angle of attack higher lift coefficient and lower drag coefficient are obtainable for corrugated airfoils as compared to NACA 0010. The validation of surface pressure coefficients for all three airfoils using the panel method at 40 angles of attack was done. The contours of the non-dimensional pressure and velocity are illustrated from -100 to 200 angles of attack. A good correlation between the experiment data and the computational methods revealed that the corrugated airfoils exhibit better aerodynamic performance than NACA 0010.

Separation-Bubble-Transition Measurements on a Low-Re Airfoil Using Particle Image Velocimetry

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. McAuliffe ◽  
M. I. Yaras
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Particle Image ◽  
Reverse Flow ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Piv Measurements ◽  
Image Velocimetry ◽  
Low Reynolds

This paper presents experimental results on separation-bubble transition at low Reynolds number and low freestream turbulence, measured on an airfoil using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The two-dimensional PIV measurements have been performed over the suction surface of a low-Reynolds-number airfoil in a water tow-tank facility. Reynolds numbers, based on airfoil chord length and towing speed, of 40,000 and 65,000 have been examined at various angles of incidence, providing a range of streamwise pressure distributions and transitional separation-bubble geometries. The types of bubbles observed range from a short and thick bubble with separation near the leading edge of the airfoil, to a long and thin bubble with separation far downstream of the suction peak. The PIV measurements facilitate visualization of the vortex dynamics associated with separation-bubble transition. The growth of instability waves within the separated shear layer and eventual breakdown into turbulence is documented through the instantaneous vector fields. For all cases examined, large-scale vortex shedding and multiple reverse-flow zones are observed in the reattachment region. A technique for estimating the location of transition onset based on statistical turbulence quantities is presented, and comparisons are made to existing transition models.

Novel Tubercle Design for a Wind Turbine Blade Operating at Low Reynolds Number

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Deeksha ◽  
Mahesh K. Varpe
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Amplitude Ratio ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Operating Condition ◽  
Low Reynolds

Abstract Wind energy has become one of the vital sustainable energy resources and a leading contender to the renewable resources race. The need of extending the aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine paved the way for radical approaches in the design of wind turbine blades. One such promising technique is the adoption of passive flow controls like leading edge protuberance or tubercles. In this paper the aerodynamic performance of NACA0009 (baseline) superimposed with a leading edge protuberance is numerically investigated in the post-stall operating conditions. The investigation objective was to identify the optimum pitch to amplitude ratio of the protuberance in the post stall operating condition for a low Reynolds number of 5 × 104. Computational fluid dynamics computations were performed using κ-ω SST turbulence model. The optimum pitch to amplitude ratio was found to be 6 which enhanced the aerodynamic lift coefficient by 42% in the post stall operating condition. The lift is reduced at lower AOA but gets complement in the post stall operating conditions.

scholarly journals Simulation of Gas Flow Over a Micro Cylinder

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Hu ◽  
Quanhua Sun ◽  
Jing Fan
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Mach Number ◽  
Drag Coefficient ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Rarefied Gas ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Pressure Drag ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Rarefied Gas Effect ◽  
Gas Effect

Gas flow over a micro cylinder is simulated using both a compressible Navier-Stokes solver and a hybrid continuum/particle approach. The micro cylinder flow has low Reynolds number because of the small length scale and the low speed, which also indicates that the rarefied gas effect exists in the flow. A cylinder having a diameter of 20 microns is simulated under several flow conditions where the Reynolds number ranges from 2 to 50 and the Mach number varies from 0.1 to 0.8. It is found that the low Reynolds number flow can be compressible even when the Mach number is less than 0.3, and the drag coefficient of the cylinder increases when the Reynolds number decreases. The compressible effect will increase the pressure drag coefficient although the friction coefficient remains nearly unchanged. The rarefied gas effect will reduce both the friction and pressure drag coefficients, and the vortex in the flow may be shrunk or even disappear.

A Computational Study on Airfoils at a Low Reynolds Number

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Pal Singh ◽  
S. H. Winoto ◽  
D. A. Shah ◽  
K. G. Lim ◽  
Robert E. K. Goh
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Computational Analysis ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Aerodynamic Performance ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Low Reynolds

Abstract Performance characteristics of some low Reynolds number airfoils for the use in micro air vehicles (MAVs) are computationally studied using XFOIL at a Reynolds number of 80,000. XFOIL, which is based on linear-vorticity stream function panel method coupled with a viscous integral formulation, is used for the analysis. In the first part of the study, results obtained from the XFOIL have been compared with available experimental data at low Reynolds numbers. XFOIL is then used to study relative aerodynamic performance of nine different airfoils. The computational analysis has shown that the S1223 airfoil has a relatively better performance than other airfoils considered for the analysis.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Transition Effects on a Low Reynolds Number Airfoil

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Collison ◽  
Peter X. L. Harley ◽  
Domenico di Cugno
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Flow Visualisation ◽  
Transition Model ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Low Reynolds Number Airfoil

Low speed, small scale turbomachinery operates at low Reynolds number with transition phenomena occurring. In small consumer product applications, high efficiency and low noise are key performance metrics. Transition behaviour will partly determine the state of the boundary layer at the trailing edge; whether it is laminar, turbulent or separated impacts aerodynamic and acoustic performance. This study aimed to evaluate a commercially available CFD transition model on a low Reynolds number Eppler E387 airfoil and identify whether it was able to correctly model the boundary layer transition, and at what expense. CFD was carried out utilising the ANSYS Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω γ-Reθ transition model. The CFD progressed from 2D in Fluent v150, through to single cell thickness 3D (pseudo 2D) in CFX v172. An Eppler E387 low Reynolds number airfoil, for which experimental data was readily available from literature at Re = 200,000 was used as the validation case for the CFD, with results computed at numerous incidence angles and mesh densities. Additionally, experimental surface oil flow visualisation was undertaken in a wind tunnel using a scaled E387 airfoil for the zero incidence case at Re = 50,000. The flow visualisation exhibited the expected key features of transition in the breakdown of the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent, and was used as a validation case for the CFD transition model. The comparison between the results from the CFD transition model and the experimental data from literature suggested varying levels of agreement based on the mesh density and CFD solver in the starting location of the laminar separation bubble, with higher disparity for the position of the reattachment point. Whether 2D or 3D, the prediction accuracy was seen to worsen at high incidence angles. Finally, the location of the laminar separation bubble between CFD and oil flow visualisation had good agreement and a set of guidelines on the mesh parameters which can be applied to low Reynolds number turbomachinery simulations was determined.

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