Variations in the wake structure of non-elliptical lift distributions near wingtip
Schreyer, Grace Gunasekaran, Sidaard Pabon, Julian A. Cai, Jielong
Schreyer, Grace
Gunasekaran, Sidaard
Pabon, Julian A.
Cai, Jielong
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Digitization Date
Issue Date
2025-01-03
Type
Conference paper
Genre
Keywords
Zero lift drag coefficient,Vortex structure,Aerodynamic performance,Particle image velocimetry,Low speed wind tunnel,Wing configurations,Numerical simulation,Shear layers,Rectangular wing,Aspect ratio
Subjects (LCSH)
Citation
Grace A. Schreyer, Sidaard Gunasekaran, Julian A. Pabon and Jielong Cai. "Variations in the Wake Structure of Non-Elliptical Lift Distributions Near Wingtip," AIAA 2025-0253. AIAA SCITECH 2025 Forum. January 2025.
Abstract
Non-elliptical lift distributions, particularly bell-shaped distributions with extended spans, have shown potential to disrupt conventional tip vortex roll-up, even eliminating trailing vortices in the near wake. This study investigates the aerodynamic performance and near-wake characteristics of four wing configurations: a baseline untwisted wing, an elliptically loaded wing, and two nonelliptical lift distributions. Force-based experiments and streamwise Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) were conducted in the University of Dayton Low-Speed Wind Tunnel (UD-LSWT), with results compared to numerical simulations using FlightStream®. The findings reveal that, at moderate CL, wings with non-elliptical lift distributions exhibit a near-planar wake with no discernible trailing vortex signature, while the elliptically loaded wing demonstrates clear trailing vortex roll-up. Additionally, the non-elliptical configurations displayed reduced downwash and thinner wake structures compared to other configurations. These results underscore the distinct wake characteristics of non-elliptical lift distributions, marking a significant deviation from traditional trailing vortex behavior.
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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Publisher
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc, AIAA
Journal
Book Title
Series
AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, AIAA SciTech Forum 2025
6 January 2025 through 10 January 2025
Orlando
325579
6 January 2025 through 10 January 2025
Orlando
325579