An Analysis of Wave Interactions in Swept-Wing Flows

Abstract

Crossflow instabilities dominate disturbance growth in the leading-edge region of swept wings. Streamwise vortices in a boundary layer strongly influence the behavior of other disturbances. Amplification of crossflow vortices near the leading edge produces a residual spanwise nonuniformity in the mid-chord regions where Tollmien-Schlichting (T-S) waves are strongly amplified. Should the T-S wave undergo double-exponential growth because of this effect, the usual transition prediction methods would fail. The crossflow/Tollmien-Schlichting wave interaction was modeled as a secondary instability. The effects of suction are included, and different stability criteria are examined. The results are applied to laminar flow control wings characteristic of energy-efficient aircraft designs.