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Agrawal, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Agrawal, S..

Prediction of vortex breakdown on a delta wing

Recent studies of leading-edge vortex flows with computational fluid dynamics codes using Euler or Navier-Stokes formulations have shown fair agreement with experimental data. These studies have concentrated on simulating the flowfields associated with a sharp-edged flat plate 70 deg delta wing at angles of attack where vortex breakdown or burst is observed over the wing. There are, however, a number of discrepancies between the experimental data and the computed flowfields. The location of vortex breakdown in the computational solutions is seen to differ from the experimental data and to vary with changes in the computational grid and freestream Mach number. There also remain issues as to the validity of steady-state computations for cases which contain regions of unsteady flow, such as in the post-breakdown regions. As a partial response to these questions, a number of laminar Navier-Stokes solutions were examined for the 70 deg delta wing. The computed solutions are compared with an experimental database obtained at low subsonic speeds. The convergence of forces, moments and vortex breakdown locations are also analyzed to determine if the computed flowfields actually reach steady-state conditions.

Agrawal, S.

Transonic Navier-Stokes flow computations over wing-fuselage geometries

The steady-state transonic viscous flows over two wing-fuselage configurations are solved numerically. The 3D compressible thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are solved by means of multistage timestepping similar to the Runge-Kutta method. The timestepping technique is applied with a multigrid scheme to make the transonic Navier-Stokes computations using the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence for closure and converging the solution on a grid of 1.52 million grid points with a C-O topology. Both generic and fighter wing-fuselage geometries are solved, and the results are compared to experimental studies. Solution convergence is found to be fast, and the fine grid generates accurate results for both configurations by means of the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model. Results from the Johnson-King model calculations produce results that are more consistent with experimental results for the fighter configuration.

Agrawal, S.

Feasibility and benefits of laminar flow control on supersonic cruise airplanes

An evaluation was made of the applicability and benefits of laminar flow control (LFC) technology to supersonic cruise airplanes. Ancillary objectives were to identify the technical issues critical to supersonic LFC application, and to determine how those issues can be addressed through flight and wind-tunnel testing. Vehicle types studied include a Mach 2.2 supersonic transport configuration, a Mach 4.0 transport, and two Mach 2-class fighter concepts. Laminar flow control methodologies developed for subsonic and transonic wing laminarization were extended and applied. No intractible aerodynamic problems were found in applying LFC to airplanes of the Mach 2 class, even ones of large size. Improvements of 12 to 17 percent in lift-drag ratios were found. Several key technical issues, such as contamination avoidance and excresence criteria were identified. Recommendations are made for their resolution. A need for an inverse supersonic wing design methodology is indicated.

Powell, A. G.