Numerical simulation of vortical flows over a strake-delta wing

Abstract

The vortical flow fields over a double-delta wing with sweep angles 80 and 60 deg are investigated by means of numerical simulations based on the LU-ADI code of Fujii and Obayashi (1986) for the three-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. The results obtained using an 850,000-point grid at angle of attack alpha = 6-40 deg are presented graphically, compared with experimental data, and characterized in detail. Qualitatively accurate simulations are obtained for transition phenomena such as strake/wing-vortex interaction at alpha = 12 deg, bubble-type vortex breakdown near the trailing edge at alpha = 30 deg, and spiral-type breakdown at alpha = 35 deg. It is suggested that quantitative simulations can be achieved at higher grid resolution.