Prediction of tunnel wall upwash for delta wings including vortex breakdown effects

Abstract

AbstractAn incompressible method is presented to predict the upwash corrections associated with vortical flow as a result of wind-tunnel side wall effects. An image system is used to simulate the tunnel side walls which are assumed to be solid. An integral expression is formulated, representing the average upwash induced over the wing by the image system. Wall effects may be determined for flows with and without vortex breakdown. Comparisons of the results with upwash predictions from a Navier-Stokes study show close accord. The upwash expression also displayed the ability to successfully predict corrections for flows involving vortex breakdown.