Numerical and Experimental Study of the Influence of Damage on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Finite Wing

Abstract

In this paper the flow on a finite wing with star shape damage is numerically and experimentally investigated to understand the influences of damage on the aerodynamic characteristics of wing. To study the effects of different span positions, the damage was considered in tip, middle and root position of the wing span. The aerodynamic coefficients and their increments due to damage were extracted and the results were compared to each other and also to the results of experimental. Then flow visualizations were practiced to make evident the flow structure on the model and to help to understand the influences of each position of damage on the aerodynamic coefficients. There was the flow through the damage which was driven by the pressure difference between the upper and lower wing surfaces. The flow could take two forms dependent on the angle of attack. The first form was a “weak-jet” which formed an attached wake and resulted in small changes in force and moment coefficients. The second form resulted from increased incidence. This was the “strong-jet” where through flow penetrated into the free stream flow with large separated wake and reverse flow. The effect on the force and moment coefficients was significant in this case. Generally comparing to an undamaged model, increasing incidence for a damaged model resulted increase loss of lift coefficient, increased drag coefficient and more negative pitching moment coefficient.