Direct numerical simulations of the flow around wings with spanwise waviness at a very low Reynolds number

Author(s)

Serson, D. ; Meneghini, J. R. ; Sherwin, S. J.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: COMPUTERS & FLUIDS; v. 146, p. 117-124, MAR 26 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 8

Abstract

Inspired by the pectoral flippers of the humpback whale, the use of spanwise waviness in the leading edge has been considered in the literature as a possible way of improving the aerodynamic performance of wings. In this paper, we present an investigation based on direct numerical simulations of the flow around infinite wavy wings with a NACA0012 profile, at a Reynolds number Re = 1000. The simulations were carried out using the Spectral/hp Element Method, with a coordinate system transformation employed to treat the waviness of the wing. Several combinations of wavelength and amplitude were considered, showing that for this value of Re the waviness leads to a reduction in the lift-to-drag ratio (LID), associated with a suppression of the fluctuating lift coefficient. These changes are associated with a regime where the flow remains attached behind the peaks of the leading edge while there are distinct regions of flow separation behind the troughs, and a physical mechanism explaining this behaviour is proposed. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/50279-4 - Brasil Research Centre for Gas Innovation
• Grantee: Julio Romano Meneghini
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program
• FAPESP's process: 12/23493-0 - Numerical study of wings with wavy leading and trailing edges
• Grantee: Douglas Serson
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)