Numerical simulation of wake vortex for the flight near the ground with different boundary conditions

Abstract

The aerodynamic performances of aircraft change due to the ground effect for flights near the ground. The air cushion generated near the ground will change the development of the aircraft wake vortex. Researchers have compared several different ground boundary conditions with two-dimensional airfoils, while three-dimensional cases have not been studied specifically. In this study, the effects of stationary and moving wall boundary conditions on the aircraft aerodynamic characteristics and wake development were numerically investigated in three dimensions. The results showed that the stationary wall overestimated the viscous effect of the ground, resulting in a reduction of the wingtip vortex (WTV) vorticity magnitude. The difference appeared at $ x\, = \,7b $ (wingspan of the aircraft) where the secondary vortex was induced by the wingtip and horizontal tail vortex (HTV).

Keywords

• flight approaching
• rans
• wake vortex
• ground effect
• moving ground