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Characteristic flow patterns and aerodynamic performance on a forward-swept wing

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Abstract

This investigation elucidates the effects of Reynolds number (Re) and angle of attack (α) on the boundary-layer flow patterns, aerodynamic performance, flow behaviors and vortex shedding. This investigation applies a finite NACA 0012 forward-swept wing with the forward-sweep angle (φ) of 15°. The Reynolds numbers were tested in the range of 4.6 × 104 < Re < 105. The wing chord length is 6 cm and the semi-wing span is 30 cm, such that the full-span wing aspect ratio is 10. The surface oil-flow scheme was utilized to visualize the boundary-layer flow structures. The hot-wire anemometer was applied to measure the vortex-shedding frequency behind the forwardswept wing. Furthermore, a force-moment sensor was applied to measure the aerodynamic loadings. The surface oil-flow patterns are classified into six characteristic flow modes — separation, separation bubble, secondary separation, leading-edge bubble, bubble extension and bluff-body wake modes. Additionally, the output of force-moment sensor and the visualized boundary-layer flow configurations indicate that the aerodynamic performance is closely related to the boundary-layer flow behaviors. Furthermore, the boundary-layer flow stalled in the leading-edge bubble mode. Moreover, the vortex-shedding frequency behind the forward-swept wing shows that the vortexshedding frequency at low α exceeds that at high α.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aviation and Communication Electronics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaohsiung, 820, Taiwan

    Kuo C. San

  2. Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 202, Taiwan

    Yu F. Fei

Authors
  1. Kuo C. San
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  2. Yu F. Fei
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kuo C. San.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Simon Song

Kuo-Ching San was born in Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C., on June 28, 1969. He received the B.S. degree from Air Force Academy, Kaohsiung, R.O.C., in 1992, the M.S. degree from Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, NY, in 1997, and the Ph.D degree from the National Taiwan University, Taipei, R.O.C., in 2007. His research interests include the analysis of flow patterns on wing airfoils and flame patters on unconfined combustion.

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San, K.C., Fei, Y.F. Characteristic flow patterns and aerodynamic performance on a forward-swept wing. J Mech Sci Technol 26, 3103–3110 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0922-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0922-5

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