A review of the problem of modeling the aerodynamics of small-sized ekranoplanes

Abstract

A characteristic trend in the development of modern transport systems is the widespread introduction of unmanned technologies. One of the new vehicles that are promising for use as high-speed unmanned aerial vehicles are ekranoplanes (WIG crafts). Such devices use the principle of dynamic support above the surface. Therefore, the processes of aerodynamics are decisive for their reliable and effective operation. The presented work considers the problem of modeling aerodynamic processes during the movement of the vehicle near the surface. In contrast to studies in an unrestricted flow, the presence of a surface leads to a number of features that determine the need for special approaches to both physical and mathematical experiments. It is established that each of the methods can ensure the similarity of the modeled processes to the real ones within the defining limits. A brief review of methods of numerical modeling of ekranoplan aerodynamics is presented. The approaches, which based on the Navier-Stokes equations and method of discrete singularities, are considered. There are examples of calculation of the processes of wing aerodynamics herein. The advantages and disadvantages of viscous and inviscid models for research are shown.