• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.151-161
• /
• 2012

The present study numerically investigates the aerodynamic characteristics of two-dimensional wings in the vicinity of the ground by solving two-dimensional steady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with the turbulence closure model of the realizable k-${\varepsilon}$ model. Numerical simulations are performed at a wide range of the normalized ground clearance by the chord length ($0.1{\leq}h/C{\leq}1.25$) for the angles of attack ($0^{\circ}{\leq}{\alpha}{\leq}10^{\circ}$) in the prestall regime at a Reynolds number (Re) of $2{\times}10^6$ based on free stream velocity $U_{\infty}$ and the chord length. As the physical model of this study, a cambered airfoil of NACA 4406 has been selected by a performance test for various airfoils. The maximum lift-to-drag ratio is achieved at ${\alpha}=4^{\circ}$ and h / C = 0.1. Under the conditions of ${\alpha}=4^{\circ}$ and h / C = 0.1, the effect of the Reynolds number on the aerodynamic characteristics of NACA 4406 is investigated in the range of $2{\times}10^5{\leq}Re{\leq}2{\times}10^9$. As Re increases, $C_l$ and $C_d$ augments and decreases, respectively, and the lift-to-drag ratio increases linearly.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.384-391
• /
• 2001

The aerodynamic effects of a 3-dimensional Wing in Ground Effect (WIG) which moves above the free surface has been numerically investigated via finite difference techniques. The air flow field around a WIG is analyzed by a Marker & Cell (MAC) based method, and the interactions between WIG and the free surface are studied by the pressure distributions on the free surface. Waves are generated by the surface pressure distribution, and a Navier-Stokes solver has been employed, to include the nonlinearities in the free surface conditions. The pressure values Cp and lift/drag ratio are reviewed by changing the height/chord ratio. In the present computations a NACA0012 airfoil with a span/chord ratio of 3.0 are treated. Through computational results, it is confirmed that the free surface can be treated as a rigid wavy wall.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.11-16
• /
• 2016

In this paper, an experimental study on the aerodynamic characteristics of a variable span wing flying inside a channel guideway is accomplished using wind tunnel testing. A variable span wing with a NACA 0012 airfoil section was fabricated and actuated using a linear servo motor. The aerodynamic effects of 1) wing aspect ratio, 2) ground effect, and 3) the gap between the wingtip and the wing fence were investigated. It was found that both ground effect and wing fence gap increased lift. Also, the wing fence gap does not significantly affect drag. Therefore, it was found that a variable span mechanism can be used as an effective high lift device when flap use is limited.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.33 no.12
• /
• pp.961-967
• /
• 2009

A 3-dimensional numerical investigation of a WIG effect vehicle with DUP (direct underside pressurization) is performed to predict aerodynamic characteristics and the static height stability. DUP can considerably reduce take-off speed and minimize the hump drag while the vehicle accelerates on the water to take off. The DUP of the model vehicle, Aircat, consists of a propeller in the middle of the fuselage and an air chamber under the fuselage. The air accelerated by the propeller comes into the camber through the channel in the middle of fuselage and augments lift by changing its dynamic pressure to static pressure dramatically. However, the air accelerated by a propeller produces excessive drag and reduces static height stability.

• Journal of Ship and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.14-25
• /
• 2008

Recently, there has been a serious effort to design a wing in ground effect (WIG) craft. Vehicles of this type might use low aspect ratio wings defined as those with smaller than 3. Design and prediction techniques for fixed wings of relatively large aspect ratio are reasonably well developed. However, Aerodynamic problems related to vortex lift on wings of low aspect ratio have made it difficult to use existing techniques. In this work, we firstly focus on understanding aerodynamic characteristics of low aspect ratio wings and comparing the results from experimental measurements and currently available numerical predictions for both inviscid and viscous flows. Second, we apply an improved numerical method, "B-spline based high panel method with wake roll-up modeling", to the same problem.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2007.05b
• /
• pp.3080-3085
• /
• 2007

Shape optimization of the 3-dimensional WIG airfoil with 3.0-aspect ratio has been performed by using the multi-objective genetic algorithm. The WIG ship effectively floating above the surface by the ram effect and the virtual additional aspect ratio by a ground is one of next-generation and cost-effective transportations. Unlike the airplane flying out of the ground effect, a WIG ship has possibility to capsize because of unsatisfying the static stability. The WIG ship should satisfy aerodynamic properties as well as a static stability. They tend to strong contradict and it is difficult to satisfy aerodynamic properties and static stability simultaneously. It is inevitable that lift force has to scarify to obtain a static stability. Multi-objective optimization technique that the individual objectives are considered separately instead of weighting can overcome the conflict. Due to handling individual objectives, the optimum cannot be unique but a set of nondominated potential solutions: pareto optimum. There are three objectives; lift coefficient, lift-to-drag ratio and static stability. After a few evolutions, the non-dominated pareto individuals can be obtained. Pareto sets are all the set of possible and excellent solution across the design space. At any selections of the pareto set, these are no better solutions in all design space

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.30 no.11 s.254
• /
• pp.1084-1092
• /
• 2006

Shape optimization of airfoil in WIG craft has been performed by considering the ground effect. The WIG craft should satisfy various aerodynamic characteristics such as lift, lift to drag ratio, and static height stability. However, they show a strong trade-off phenomenon so that it is difficult to satisfy aerodynamic properties simultaneously. Optimization is carried out through the multi-objective genetic algorithm. A multi-objective optimization means that each objective is considered separately instead of weighting. Due to the trade-off, pareto sets and non-dominated solutions can be obtained instead of the unique solution. NACA0015 airfoil is considered as a baseline model, shapes of airfoil are parameterized and rebuilt with four-Bezier curves. There are eighteen design variables and three objective functions. The range of design variables and their resolutions are two primary keys for the successful optimization. By two preliminary optimizations, the variation can be reduced effectively. After thirty evolutions, the non-dominated pareto individuals of twenty seven are obtained. Pareto sets are all the set of possible and excellent solution across the design space. At any selections of the pareto set, these are no better solutions in all design space.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.7
• /
• pp.655-663
• /
• 2010

DUP (direct underside pressurization) is a device that can considerably increase lift, reduce take-off speed and minimize hump drag when a WIG effect vehicle takes off on the water surface. A 3-dimensional numerical investigation of a WIG effect vehicle with DUP is performed to analyze aerodynamic characteristics and the static height stability. The model vehicle, named Aircat, consists of a propeller in the middle of a fuselage, an air chamber under the fuselage, Lippisch-type wings and a large horizontal T-tail. The lift is mainly increased by the stagnation of the accelerated air coming into the air chamber through the channel in the middle of the fuselage. However, the accelerated air increases drag as well as reduces static height stability.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.649-654
• /
• 2010

A three-dimensional numerical study of the WIG-effect vehicle with a direct-underside-pressurization (DUP) system and a propeller is performed to analyze the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the vehicle. The computational model includes all the compartments of a WIG-effect vehicle, including a propeller in the middle of the fuselage and an air chamber under the fuselage. The DUP system and propeller help considerably reduce the take-off speed and minimize the effect of the hump drag when the vehicle accelerates to take off on water. The airflow is accelerated by a propeller, and the air then enters the air chamber through a channel in the middle of the fuselage, this air helps increase the lift since the dynamic pressure of air is converted to static pressure. However, the air accelerated by the propeller produces excessive drag and creates yawing moment. It is found that the effect of yawing and rolling moments on static stability is negligible.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.57-64
• /
• 2005

Aerodynamic characteristics of three-dimensional wings in ground effect for Aero-levitation Electric Vehicle(AEV) are numerically investigated for various fairing shapes at the junctions of 3D Wings. Numerical results show that a sizeable three-dimensional comer flow separation occurs with formation of an arch vortex at the junction of main and vertical wings, and also that this is predicted the main cause of the high lift-to-drag(L/D) reduction rate of the main wing. To avoid the comer flow separation, the main idea of this study is to reduce the cross section gradient of the comer flow tube near the trailing edge for various fairing shapes. Improvements on L/D ratios of the wings are pursued by breaking the coherence of superimposed adverse pressure gradients at the wing junction when the cross section gradient is changed slowly at the trailing edge.