Three-dimensional viscous flow analysis of tip-sail effects on wing performance at low reynolds numbers

Abstract

Steady, three-dimensional viscous numerical analysis of airflow over a rectangular NACA 0012 base wing (BW) with a rounded tip and with three NACA 0015 tip-sails (WTS) is performed. The flow physics and aerodynamic forces are studied at Reynolds numbers (Re) of 60,000 and 600,000, angles of attack (α) of 0, 5, 7.5, and 10°, and two sets of tip-sail dihedral angles (leading to trailing tip-sail): 50, 45, and 40° and 60, 45, and 30°. The Shear Stress Transport turbulence and intermittency-transition Reynolds number transitional turbulence models were used. For α > 0°, the WTS produced higher lift coefficients (CL) and drag coefficients (CD) than the BW. At Re = 600,000 and α > 0°, the CL/CD was higher for the WTS than the BW. Good agreement was seen with experimental data at Re = 600,000 for the BW results and the WTS CL but not the WTS CD.