DELTA WING AERODYNAMICS –

Requirements from CFD and

experiments

I Gursul (University of Bath),

M. Allan and K. Badcock (University of Glasgow)

Integrating CFD and Experiments, Sept 8-9 2003, Glasgow, UK.

 Overview
 Brief introduction to delta wing aerodynamics
 Issues and challenges
 Vortex breakdown
 Shear layer instabilities

 Vortex breakdown interaction

 Non-slender vortices

 Manoeuvring wing vortices

 Fluid / structure interaction

 Multiple vortices

 Alternative planforms

 Requirements from experiments and CFD

 Properties of delta wing leading
edge vortices
 Flow separates at low
angle of attack
 Stable vortices produce
increased lift and induced
drag
 Secondary vortices form
beneath primaries
 Core velocities reach up
to 3.5 U∞ (jet like
velocity profile)
Vortex breakdown
 Character of vortex breakdown
 Associated with flow stagnation along vortex axis
 Core kinks and forms spiral of opposite sense to core
rotation (spiral breakdown) or forms a recirculation
region behind stagnation point (bubble breakdown)
 Downstream of breakdown flow turns into full scale
turbulence
 Dominant frequencies present in breakdown region
(associated with spiral breakdown)
 Loss in lift and sharp change in pitching moment
 Reynolds number independent
 Sensitive to external influences
 Vortex breakdown (1)

Time averaged PIV results Steady state computation

Magnitude of velocity Velocity contours
showing structure of breakdown showing structure of vortex breakdown
 Vortex Breakdown (2)

Spiral vortex breakdown Bubble vortex breakdown

Breakdown location scatter
Gursul (1995)

Large scatter in breakdown locations –

possibly due to geometry or test facilities
Test facility interference (1)

Allan et al. (2002)

 Test facility interference (2)
Allan et al. (2003)

FAB 12% XBD = 81 %cr FAB 6% XBD = 73.8 %cr

 Shear layer instabilities (1)

Gad-El-Hak and Blackwelder (1985) Payne et. al. (1988)

 Shear layer instabilities (2)
A. Mitchell et al. (2001)
220 220

200
X/c = .53 X/c = .64
200
x*c/U0 x*c/U0
180 200 180 200
180 180
160 160 160 160
140 140
120 120
140 140 100
100
80 80
120 60 120 60
Z( mm )

Z( mm )
40 40
100 20 100 20
0 0
-20 -20
80 80
-40 -40
-60 -60
60 -80 60 -80
-100 -100
40 -120 40 -120
-140 -140
20 -160 -160
20
-180 -180
-200 -200
0 0

-20 -20
-350 -300 -250 -200 -150 -100 -50 -350 -300 -250 -200 -150 -100 -50
Y( mm ) Y( mm )

220 220

200
X/c = .74 200
X/C = .84 x*c/U0
200
x*c/U0 180
180 200 180 160
180 140
160 120
160 140 160
100
120 80
140 100 140 60
80 40
120 60 120 20
Z( mm )

Z( mm )

40 0
100 20 -20
0
100
-40
-20 -60
80 -40 80 -80
-60 -100
60 -80 60 -120
-100 -140
40 -120
40 -160
-140 -180
-160
20 20 -200
-180
-200
0 0

-20 -20
-350 -300 -250 -200 -150 -100 -50 -350 -300 -250 -200 -150 -100 -50
Y( mm ) Y( mm )
 Shear layer instabilities (3)
x*C/U0: -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100

1
X
Y

0.8

0.6
Z/e

0.4

0.2

0 500
550
-1 600
Y /-0.8 650
e m)
-0.6
700 X (m
750
-0.4 800

A. Mitchell et al. (2001)

 Shear layer instabilities (4)
M. Visbal (2002)

Instantaneous flow fields showing transition process Time averaged flow

with increasing Reynolds number structure
Vortex breakdown interactions

Gray et al. (2003) Menke et al. (1999)

Non-slender vortices
Dual vortex system

L = 50o Taylor et al. (2003)

 Manoeuvring delta wings (1)

 Dynamic response of vortices

and breakdown important
 UAVs expected to have high
manoeuvre rates (up to 30g
envisaged)
 Frequencies of motion may
couple with vortex instabilities

Menke et al. (1999)

 Manoeuvring delta wings (2)
 Hysteresis effects present (especially with vortex
breakdown) for pitch, roll, and yaw motion
 Hysteresis in loads and moments as well as breakdown locations
 Not well understood
 CFD suggests PG delays along vortex axis important

 Hysteresis present for non-manoeuvering wings

 Static hysteresis
 Hysteresis due to flap / rudder deflections
 Indicates motion induced rates are not solely producing
hysteresis effects
Manoeuvring delta wings (3)

Free-to-roll cases – including bearing friction effects

 Manoeuvring delta wings (4)

Limit Cycle Oscillations

(Wing rock) -
Slender and non-slender
wings
Fluid / structure interaction
Unsteady vortex / structure
interactions

Gordnier (2002)
Multiple vortices

• Unsteady vortex interactions

• Complex flow patterns
• Coiling up and merging
• Breakdown
 Alternative planforms
Diamond wings / Lambda wings for example

Experiment CFD

Lynn et al. (1998) Qiang (2003)

 Summary - Requirements from
experiments
 After 4 decades of research many experimentally
observed phenomena poorly understood
 Vortex breakdown, shear layer instabilities, hysteresis
effects, multiple vortices, high rate manoeuvres
 Limitations
 Measurement techniques available and data which can
be acquired in a given time
 Test facility restrictions
 Cost
Summary - Requirements from CFD
(1)
 Static test data
 Complete data sets
 Generally only one or two of flow vis / surface pressure /
flowfield data / load data
 Better description of test conditions
 Tunnel geometries, support geometries, measurement
equipment
 More detailed flowfield data
 Higher fidelity modelling is requiring more and more
detailed flowfield data for validation
 Validation of tunnel interference effects
 Improved correction techniques
Summary - Requirements from CFD
(2)
 Dynamic testing
 Complete data sets
 Force data / Breakdown location data / Surface pressure
data / Flow vis / Flowfield data
 Better understanding of support friction effects
 Details of test facility interference sources
 Improved correction techniques
 Multiple DOF tests

The end.