Aerodynamic Performance Assessment of various NACA Airfoils on a Low Aspect Ratio Wing-in-Ground-Effect (WIGE)

Abstract

The “ground-effect” is a phenomenon that occurs while aerial vehicles perform flights close to the ground. In case of wing-in-ground-effect (WIGE) aircraft, flight completely consist of operations subjecting to the ground-effect and require special aerodynamic considerations during the design of the vehicle. WIGE aircraft practically bases on the idea of benefiting this effect, therefore the wing, and correspondingly airfoil is the most important geometry to be precisely designed or selected from the beginning of the conceptual design. The objective of this study is to obtain, assess and compare the aerodynamic characteristics of various NACA airfoils in ground-effect with a conceptual design perspective. To this end, a low aspect ratio wing (AR=1.5) was selected as the baseline model and aerodynamic investigation of the design carried out using a Vortex Lattice Method (VLM) solver, comparing and validating with experimental wind tunnel data at Reynold number of 3.4x105. A gird independence study was also carried out to ensure the results were independent from number of panel elements. Subsequently, the airfoils that have been previously known to be used on aerial vehicles (NACA 4412, NACA 23015, NACA 63-415 and NACA 65(2)-215) were applied on the same wing model and analyzed at various ground clearances (h/c) employing the same numerical methodology. The aerodynamic performances of the airfoils were compared in terms of their lift coefficient, drag coefficient and lift-to-drag ratio characteristics.

Keywords

• Aerodynamics
• NACA
• Airfoil
• Low aspect ratio
• Wing
• Ground effect

Çeşitli NACA Kanat Profillerinin Düşük En-Boy Oranlı Yer Etkisinde Kanat (WIGE) Üzerinde Aerodinamik Performans Değerlendirmesi

Abstract

“Yer etkisi”, hava araçları yere yakın uçuşlar gerçekleştirirken ortaya çıkan bir olgudur. Yer etkisinde kanatlı (WIGE) hava araçlarında ise, uçuş tamamen yer etkisinde operasyonlardan oluşur ve hava aracının tasarımı sırasında özel aerodinamik hususların dikkate alınması gerekir. WIGE hava aracı temel olarak bu etkiden faydalanma prensibine dayanır, bu nedenle kanat ve buna bağlı olarak kanat profili, kavramsal tasarımın başlangıcından itibaren hassas bir şekilde tasarlanması veya seçilmesi gereken en önemli şekildir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, çeşitli NACA kanat profillerinin yer etkisindeki aerodinamik özelliklerini kavramsal bir tasarım perspektifiyle elde etmek, değerlendirmek ve karşılaştırmaktır. Bu amaçla, düşük en-boy oranlı bir kanat (AR=1.5) temel model olarak seçilmiş ve tasarımın aerodinamik incelemesi Girdap Kafes Metodu (VLM) çözücüsü kullanılarak, 3.4x105 Reynold sayısında deneysel rüzgâr tüneli testi verileriyle karşılaştırılarak ve doğrulanarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuçların panel eleman sayısından bağımsız olmasını sağlamak için bir ağdan bağımsızlık çalışması da gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ardından, daha önce hava araçlarında kullanıldığı bilinen kanatlar (NACA 4412, NACA 23015, NACA 63-415 ve NACA 65(2)-215) aynı kanat modeline uygulanmış ve aynı sayısal metodoloji kullanılarak çeşitli yer açıklıklarında (h/c) analiz edilmiştir. Kanatların aerodinamik performansları taşıma katsayısı, sürükleme katsayısı ve taşıma-sürükleme oranı özellikleri açısından karşılaştırılmıştır.

Keywords

• Aerodinamik
• NACA
• Kanat profili
• Düşük açıklık oranı
• Kanat
• Yer etkisi

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