Masters Theses
Abstract
"Supersonic airfoil geometries have been used since the 1940’s for high speed flight. Most aerodynamic studies of this class of airfoil focus primarily on the supersonic regime. Very few reports in the public domain address the flow characteristics of these airfoils at low subsonic speeds. The sharp leading edge and mid-chord maximum thickness location of supersonic airfoils combine to create complex flow features at low speeds. Separation bubbles form at very low angles of attack and grow tremendously as incidence is increased further. These separated regions can have a large influence on the performance characteristics of the airfoil and are very sensitive to the ambient flow conditions. Recently, interest in supersonic business jets has promoted many questions regarding how to accurately model these complex flow physics. Four airfoil geometries have been selected for study, three of which are supersonic geometries. The flow fields surrounding each of these airfoils are predicted using computational methods at a free stream Mach number of 0.17 and angles of attack between zero incidence and the onset of stall. Various combinations of computational parameters, such as grid density and how the turbulence model is implemented, have been utilized to examine their impact on the calculation of the laminar separation bubble. Comparisons of the flow developments over the selected supersonic airfoils show that while the formation and internal characteristics of the computed bubbles are similar, the overall length of the bubble is influenced by downstream pressure gradients created by the airfoils shape. By providing insight into the predicted behavior of the separation bubble, more informed decisions can be made in design situations involving laminar separation bubbles"--Abstract, page iii.
Advisor(s)
Finaish, Fathi
Committee Member(s)
Isaac, Kakkattukuzhy M.
Forrester, G.
Riggins, David W.
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Degree Name
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering
Publisher
University of Missouri--Rolla
Publication Date
Fall 2006
Pagination
xii, 103 pages
Note about bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 100-102).
Rights
© 2006 Keith Edward Norton, All rights reserved.
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted Access
File Type
text
Language
English
Subject Headings
Aerodynamics, Supersonic
Aerofoils
Numerical grid generation (Numerical analysis)
Turbulence -- Mathematical models
Thesis Number
T 9109
Print OCLC #
124114178
Link to Catalog Record
Electronic access to the full-text of this document is restricted to Missouri S&T users. Otherwise, request this publication directly from Missouri S&T Library or contact your local library.
http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu/record=b5850890~S5Recommended Citation
Norton, Keith Edward, "A computational study of the flow fields around supersonic airfoils at low subsonic speeds" (2006). Masters Theses. 5899.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/5899
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