scholarly journals Aerodynamic Study of the NASA’s X-43A Hypersonic Aircraft

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 8211
Author(s):  
Àlex Navó ◽  
Josep M. Bergada

A 2D aerodynamic study of the NASA’s X-43A hypersonic aircraft is developed using two different approaches. The first one is analytical and based on the resolution of the oblique shock wave and Prandtl–Meyer expansion wave theories supported by an in-house program and considering a simplified aircraft’s design. The second approach involves the use of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package, OpenFOAM and the real shape of the aircraft. The aerodynamic characteristics defined as the lift and drag coefficients, the aerodynamic efficiency and the pitching moment coefficient are calculated for different angles of attack. Evaluations are made for an incident Mach number of 7 and an altitude of 30 km. For both methodologies, the required angles of attack to achieve a Vertical Force Balance (VFB) and a completely zero pitching moment conditions are considered. In addition, an analysis to optimise the nose configuration of the aircraft is performed. The mass flow rate throughout the scramjet as a function of the angle of attack is also presented in the CFD model in addition to the pressure, density, temperature and Mach fields. Before presenting the corresponding results, a comparison between the aerodynamic coefficients in terms of the angle of attack of both models is carried out in order to properly validate the CFD model. The paper clarifies the requirements needed to make sure that both oblique shock waves originating from the leading edge meet just at the scramjet inlet clarifying the advantages of fulfilling such condition.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masateru Maeda ◽  
Natsuki Harada ◽  
Hiroto Tanaka

Hydrodynamic performance of a gliding penguin flipper (wing) considering the backward sweep was estimated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. A flipper of a gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) was 3D scanned, smoothed, and a numerical fluid mesh was generated. For accurate yet resource-saving computation, an embedded large-eddy simulation (ELES) methods was employed, where the flow near the flipper was solved with large-eddy simulation (LES) and flow far away from the flipper was solved with Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS). The relative flow speed was fixed at 2 m s-1, close to the typical foraging speed for the penguin species. The sweep angle was set to be 0°, 30°, and 60°, while the angle of attack was varied between -40° and 40°, both are within the realistic ranges in the wing kinematics measurement of penguins in an aquarium. It was revealed that a higher sweep angle reduces the lift slope, but the lift coefficient is unchanged at a high angle of attack. Drag coefficient was reduced across the angles of attack with increasing the sweep angles. The drag polars suggest the sweep angle may be adjusted with the change in swimming speed and anhedral (negative dihedral) angle to minimise drag while maintaining the vertical force balance to counteract the positive buoyancy. This will effectively expand the swimming envelope of the gliding penguin, similar to a flying counterpart such as swift.


2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (1245) ◽  
pp. 1711-1732 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kalimuthu ◽  
R. C. Mehta ◽  
E. Rathakrishnan

ABSTRACTA forward spike attached to a blunt body significantly alters its flow field characteristics and influences aerodynamic characteristics at hypersonic flow due to formation of separated flow and re-circulation region around the spiked body. An experimental investigation was performed to measure aerodynamic forces for spikes blunt bodies with a conical, hemispherical and flat-face spike at Mach 6 and at an angle-of-attack range from 0° to 8° and length-to-diameterL/Dratio of spike varies from 0.5 to 2.0, whereLis the length of the spike andDis diameter of blunt body. The shape of the leading edge of the spiked blunt body reveals different types of flow field features in the formation of a shock wave, shear layer, flow separation, re-circulation region and re-attachment shock. They are analysed with the help of schlieren pictures. The shock distance ahead of the hemisphere and the flat-face spike is compared with the analytical solution and is showing satisfactory agreement with the schlieren pictures. The influence of geometrical parameters of the spike, the shape of the spike tip and angle-of-attack on the aerodynamic coefficients are investigated by measuring aerodynamic forces in a hypersonic wind tunnel. It is found that a maximum reduction of drag of about 77% was found for hemisphere spike ofL/D= 2.0 at zero angle-of-attack. Consideration for compensation of increased pitching moment is required to stabilise the aerodynamic forces.


2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Jamei ◽  
Adi Maimun Abdul Malek ◽  
Shuhaimi Mansor ◽  
Nor Azwadi Che Sidik ◽  
Agoes Priyanto

Wing configuration is a parameter that affects the performance of wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft. In this study, the aerodynamic characteristics of a new compound wing were investigated during ground effect. The compound wing was divided into three parts with a rectangular wing in the middle and two reverse taper wings with anhedral angle at the sides. The sectional profile of the wing model is NACA6409. The experiments on the compound wing and the rectangular wing were carried to examine different ground clearances, angles of attack, and Reynolds numbers. The aerodynamic coefficients of the compound wing were compared with those of the rectangular wing, which had an acceptable increase in its lift coefficient at small ground clearances, and its drag coefficient decreased compared to rectangular wing at a wide range of ground clearances, angles of attack, and Reynolds numbers. Furthermore, the lift to drag ratio of the compound wing improved considerably at small ground clearances. However, this improvement decreased at higher ground clearance. The drag polar of the compound wing showed the increment of lift coefficient versus drag coefficient was higher especially at small ground clearances. The Reynolds number had a gradual effect on lift and drag coefficients and also lift to drag of both wings. Generally, the nose down pitching moment of the compound wing was found smaller, but it was greater at high angle of attack and Reynolds number for all ground clearance. The center of pressure was closer to the leading edge of the wing in contrast to the rectangular wing. However, the center of pressure of the compound wing was later to the leading edge at high ground clearance, angle of attack, and Reynolds number.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azhim Asyratul Azmi ◽  
Satriawan Dini Hariyanto ◽  
Arif Hidayat

A telescopic wing is a shape-changing method of the aircraft wing known as the morphing wing system. Wingspan extends capability on telescopic wing increasing the aspect ratio to get a high lift force. The telescopic wing on a flying wing configuration as an external wing and glider wing as an internal wing can be used to increase the coefficient lift (CL) when carrying out special missions. The aerodynamic characteristics using the Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulation approach is presented. For the 40% internal wingspan, the highest CL increment was 12.9% at a 10o angle of attack. For the 50% internal wingspan, the highest CL increment was 14.9% at a 10o angle of attack. on the 40% internal wing, the highest coefficient drag (CD) increment was 4.7%, and the largest CD increment on 50% internal was 9.5% at the angle of attack of 20o. The pressure distribution along the internal wingspan was uneven from an angle of attack of 15o due to the wing tip vortices of the external wing. Streamline pattern shown a bubble separation from the leading edge at an internal wing root by external wing tip vortices.Keywords: Morphing wing, telescopic wing, flying wing, glider


2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Lee

The impact of Gurney flaplike strips, of different geometric configurations and heights, on the aerodynamic characteristics and the tip vortices generated by a reverse delta wing (RDW) was investigated via force-balance measurement and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The addition of side-edge strips (SESs) caused a leftward shift of the lift curve, resembling a conventional trailing-edge flap. The large lift increment overwhelmed the corresponding drag increase, thereby leading to an improved lift-to-drag ratio compared to the baseline wing. The lift and drag coefficients were also found to increase with the strip height. The SES-equipped wing also produced a strengthened vortex compared to its baseline wing counterpart. The leading-edge strips (LESs) were, however, found to persistently produce a greatly diffused vortex flow as well as a small-than-baseline-wing lift in the prestall α regime. The downward LES delivered a delayed stall and an increased maximum lift coefficient compared to the baseline wing. The LESs provide a potential wingtip vortex control alternative, while the SESs can enhance the aerodynamic performance of the RDW.


1989 ◽  
Vol 206 ◽  
pp. 463-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Murata ◽  
S. Tanaka

A method is presented for the numerical analysis of the aerodynamic characteristics of a two-dimensional single-surface porous sail. In this analysis the authors apply a series of Jacobi polynomials to express the pressure distribution and chordwise shape, considering carefully leading-edge conditions. It is found that the aero-dynamic stability of a sail increases with increasing porosity. The effects of porosity on the value of the life coefficient and the position of the centre of pressure are shown in diagrams as functions of angle of attack and of excess length of membrane over the chord length.


Author(s):  
Zhenyu Huang ◽  
Jingjun Zhong

This article proposes a numerical investigation into the internal flow structure in the supersonic expander-rotor (SER). In order to reveal internal flow mechanism, the significant influencing factors in the flow structure are identified, and the solutions to improving the integrated performance of the SER are developed. According to the numerical results, the wave structure of the expansion wave and the oblique shock wave is what characterizes the flow in the mainstream region of the SER. In addition, the expansion wave and the oblique shock wave impose control on the pattern of static pressure distribution in the 3-D channel and then the 3-D flow structure. The formation and breakdown of the tip leakage vortex are the main form that the motion of vortex takes in the SER. The concentration, recirculation, and separation of the boundary layer; the low energy fluid mixing with mainstream; and the interaction between the oblique shock waves and the boundary layer are the crucial motion tracing near the endwall. Compared with the traditional turbines, the flow structures in the tip region of the SER are relatively simpler; the essential motion tracing is the airflow near the leading edge of the strake wall moving from the PS through the tip gap to the SS as a result of the transverse pressure difference.


Author(s):  
Peifeng Li ◽  
Binqian Zhang ◽  
Yujin Tao ◽  
Zhenli Chen ◽  
Dong Li

To design the center-body airfoil of a blended wing body configuration, the aerodynamic effects of the symmetrical airfoil, trailing-edge reflexed airfoil, leading-edge loaded airfoil and leading-edge loaded plus trailing-edge reflexed airfoil are investigated based on the constraints of system arrangement. A 150-passenger BWB configuration is studied; for a center-body with symmetrical airfoil, the larger outer-wing geometrical twist should be used to fulfill the positive zero-lift pitching moment according to the design requirements of longitudinal static stability, however, lift to drag ratio shows a big decrease. For leading-edge loaded airfoil, it is difficult to achieve a positive zero-lift pitching moment because of the platform limitation. For trailing-edge reflexed airfoil or leading-edge loaded plus trailing-edge reflexed airfoil, it is easy to achieve ideal design results when reasonably designing the leading-edge loading and trailing-edge unloading. The application of a blended wing body UAV shows that the loss of aerodynamic characteristics is small when adopting the "eagle hook" stealth leading edge that has the characteristics of leading edge loading.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Arim Ko ◽  
Kyoungsik Chang ◽  
Dong-Jin Sheen ◽  
Young-Hee Jo ◽  
Ho Joon Shim

In this study, we conducted numerical simulations for a nonslender BWB type planform with a rounded leading edge and span of 2.0 m to analyze the effect of the sideslip angle on the planform at a freestream velocity of 60 m/s. The Reynolds number based on the mean chord length was 2.9×106, and we considered the angle of attack ranging from -4° to 16° and sideslip angles up to 20°. We used an unstructured mesh with a prism layer for the boundary layer with 1.11×107 grid points, and the k−ω SST turbulence model. We analyzed force and moment coefficients with respect to variation of angle of attack and sideslip angles. Side force and rolling/yawing moment coefficients had highly nonlinear relationships with the sideslip angle while lift and drag coefficients were not significantly affected. We interpreted the mechanism of these aerodynamic characteristics based on pressure and skin friction contours. Suction pressure near the leading edge had a marked effect on the pitching and rolling moment. We identified five flow types on the blunt leading edge swept wing by skin friction lines and off-body streamlines at a high angle of attack and sideslip angles.


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