Investigation of the Effect of Ski Jump on the Flow Dynamics around Generic Aircraft Carrier

Abstract

The landing operation on an aircraft carrier is a complicated and risky process. Unlike land-based operations, the landing area available on carriers is in continuous motion in all the six degrees of freedom. The ski jump, flight deck, hull, and superstructure of the carrier interact with the oncoming wind’s flow-field which creates a turbulent airflow behind the carrier. This ‘burble effect’ is very dangerous and has caused various mishaps in the past. To complement the work being undertaken at IIT Delhi to study the flow dynamics in the carrier environment, the present study investigates the effect of ski jump and superstructure on the flow around the generic aircraft carrier (GAC). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies are undertaken to simulate the airwake and establish a baseline with the ski jump. Subsequently, further studies are carried out to analyse the sensitivity of the wake to changes in carrier geometry. The introduction of the ski generates a major proportion of turbulence encountered in the aft by the approaching pilot. This is reduced significantly by optimising ski jump geometry in various ways.