Numerical Simulation of Continuous Morphing Wing with Leading Edge and Trailing Edge Parabolic Flaps
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 5
Abstract
The present study numerically investigates the aerodynamic performance of the morphing airfoil and wing with leading edge (LE) and trailing edge (TE) parabolic flaps. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations coupled with the Spalart-Allmaras (S-A) turbulence model are employed to simulate the flow fields. Firstly, the parameterization method for the morphing airfoil with LE and TE parabolic flaps is proposed. Secondly, the influence of several design parameters, namely, LE droop angle, LE droop position, TE deflection angle, and TE deflection position, on the airfoil aerodynamics are further explored. Moreover, the aspect ratio (AR) effect for the wing based on the morphing airfoil is also investigated. Simulation results demonstrate that the parabolic flaps outperform the articulated flaps in lift generation, drag reduction, and aerodynamic efficiency enhancement, with an improvement in and by 39.2% and 108.4% at , respectively. A larger LE droop angle can increase the stall margin, whereas the LE droop position barely influences airfoil aerodynamics at small angles of attack. The increment of the TE deflection angle significantly augments the lift. As the TE deflection position moves downstream, the suction peaks at the LE and TE are decreased and flow separation is also delayed. Furthermore, a larger AR can achieve higher efficiency, whereas a smaller AR is more beneficial for flow separation suppression.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 12102431, 11902320, and 12002340).
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Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 5 • September 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 18, 2022
Accepted: Dec 12, 2022
Published online: Jun 23, 2023
Published in print: Sep 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 23, 2023
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