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Thickness Effect on Low-Aspect-Ratio Wing Aerodynamic Characteristics at a Low Reynolds Number

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2011

F. B. Hsiao ,
C. Y. Lin ,
Y. C. Liu ,
D. B. Wang ,
C. C. Hsu  and
C. H. Chiang
F. B. Hsiao*
Affiliation:
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 70101, R.O.C.
C. Y. Lin*
Affiliation:
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 70101, R.O.C.
Y. C. Liu*
Affiliation:
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 70101, R.O.C.
D. B. Wang*
Affiliation:
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 70101, R.O.C.
C. C. Hsu*
Affiliation:
Department of Aircraft Engineering, AirForce Institute of Technology, Kangshang, Taiwan 82047, R.O.C.
C. H. Chiang*
Affiliation:
Department of Aircraft Engineering, AirForce Institute of Technology, Kangshang, Taiwan 82047, R.O.C.
*
*Professor
**Ph.D. student
**Ph.D. student
**Ph.D. student
***Associated Professor
****Assistant Professor
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Abstract

This paper presents the study of aerodynamic performance about low-aspect-ratio wings at a low Reynolds number in wind tunnel testing. The aerodynamic properties, including lift, total drag, lift-to-drag ratio and induced drag were measured and analyzed for detailed investigations. Two forms of nonlinear equations of lift curves were reported for comparison. The effect of airfoil thickness was found to be significant on aerodynamic characteristics for all wings tested. The lift due to tip vortices was prominent for wings of AR =1.0 and their stall angles were all larger than 20°, which was mainly augmented by tip vortices shed from the wing tips.

Keywords

Low Reynolds numberLow aspect ratioVortex lift.
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Mechanics , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , September 2008 , pp. 223 - 228
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, R.O.C. 2008

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