Numerical Analysis over a Low Reynolds Number 3D Wing

Abstract

A micro air vehicle (MAV) is defined as class of unmanned air vehicle (UAV) having a linear dimension of less than 15 cm and a mass of less than 100 g with flight speeds of 6 to 12 m/sec. MAVs fall within a Reynolds number (Re) range of 50,000 and 120,000, in which many causes of unsteady aerodynamic effects are not fully understood. The research field of low Reynolds number aerodynamics is currently an active one, with many defence organizations, universities, and corporations working towards a better understanding of the physical processes of this aerodynamic regime. In the present work, it is proposed to study the unsteady aerodynamic analysis of 3D wing using CFD software. The various steps involved in this work are geometric modelling using CATIA, meshing using ICEM CFD, and solution and post processing through FLUENT. The finite control volume analysis has been carried out to predict aerodynamic characteristics such as lift coefficients and drag coefficients. The lift and drag coefficients were compared for all the simulations with experimental results. It was observed that for the 3D wing, lift and drag both compared well for the midrange angle of attack from –5 to 12° AOA.

Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics, low aspect ratio wings, low Reynolds number

Cite this Article

Somashekar V. Numerical Analysis over a Low Reynolds Number 3D Wing. Journal of Aerospace Engineering and Technology. 2016; 6(3): 29–34p.