Master's Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Engineering - Aerospace Technology, grade: A, University of Southampton, course: Computational Aerodynamics, language: English, abstract: Wing-in-ground effect (WIG) vehicles offer an exciting capability to fill the enormous void between speed of an aircraft and the payload capacity of a ship. WIG vehicles would be able to move cargo and passengers faster than a ship and more economical than an aircraft. Ground effect is a phenomenon that occurs on all wings flying close to the ground or a surface. The aim of this project is to investigate the behavior of wings (NACA/DHMTU series) in ground effect (on a fixed/variable terrain) using Fluent CFD package. The NACA 0012 and DHMTU series used in this project are designed specifically to fly in close proximity to the ground. The performance of the NACA/ DHMTU airfoils is examined for the lift and the drag coefficients at different altitudes with varying angle of attack. The results are compared to experimental data that is available to assess the accuracy of the CFD simulation.

This volume contains revised and edited forms of papers presented at the Symposium on Numerical and Physical Aspects of Aerodynamic Flows, held at the California State University from 19 to 21 January 1981. The Symposium was organized to bring together leading research workers in those aspects of aerodynamic flows represented by the five parts and to fulfill the following purposes : first, to allow the presentation of technical papers which provide a basis for research workers to assess the present status of the subject and to formulate priorities for the future; and second, to promote informal discussion and thereby to assist the communication and develop ment of novel concepts. The format ofthe content ofthe volume is similar to that ofthe Symposium and addresses, in separate parts: Numerical Fluid Dynamics, Interactive Steady Boundary Layers, Singularities in Unsteady Boundary Layers, Transonic Flows, and Experimental Fluid Dynamics. The motivation for most of the work described relates to the internal and extern al aerodynamics of aircraft and to the development and appraisal of design methods based on numerical solutions to conservation equations in differential forms, for corresponding components. The chapters concerned with numerical fluid dynamics can, perhaps, be interpreted in a more general context, but the emphasis on boundary-Iayer flows and the special consideration oftransonic flows reflects the interest in external flows and the recent advances which have allowed the calculation methods to encompass transonic regions.

A wind-tunnel investigation has been conducted to determine the effect of ground proximity on the aerodynamic characteristics of thick highly cambered rectangular wings with aspect ratios of 1, 2, 4, and 6. The results showed that, for these aspect ratios, as the ground was approached all wings experienced increases in lift-curve slope and reductions in induced drag which resulted in increases in lift-drag ratio. Although an increase in lift-curve slope was obtained for all aspect ratios as the ground was approached, the lift coefficient at an angle of attack of 0 degrees for any given aspect ratio remained nearly constant. The experimental results were in general agreement with Wieselsberger's ground-effect theory. As the wings approached the ground, there was an increase in static longitudinal stability at positive angles of attack. When operating in ground effect, all the wings had stability of height at positive angles of attack and instability of height at negative angles of attack. Wing-tip fairings on the wings with aspect ratios of 1 and 2 produced small increases in lift-drag ratio in ground effect. (Author).

A selection of successes and failures of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is discussed. Experiment/CFD correlations involving full potential and Euler computations of the aerodynamic characteristics of four commercial transport wings and two low aspect ratio, delta wing configurations are shown. The examples consist of experiment/CFD comparisons for aerodynamic forces, moments, and pressures. Navier-Stokes equations are not considered. Hicks, R. M. and Cliff, S. E. and Melton, J. E. and Langhi, R. G. and Goodsell, A. M. and Robertson, D. D. and Moyer, S. A. Ames Research Center AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS; AERODYNAMIC CONFIGURATIONS; COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS; CORRELATION; WIND TUNNEL TESTS; WING PROFILES; AERODYNAMIC FORCES; COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT; DELTA WINGS; DYNAMIC PRESSURE; LOADING MOMENTS; LOW ASPECT RATIO WINGS...

This title reports on the latest research in the area of aerodynamic efficency of various fixed-wing, flapping wing, and rotary wing concepts. It presents the progress made by over fifty active researchers in the field.