Flow Simulations with Ultra-Low Reynolds Numbers over Rigid and Flexible Airfoils Subject to Heaving and Flapping Motions

Numerical simulations of flow patterns at ultra-low Reynolds numbers over rigid and flexible airfoils are presented, and the influence of flexibility on main aerodynamic properties are discussed. Typical unsteady flights like heaving and flapping are, in terms of Reynolds and Strouhal numbers, reduc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics 2017-03, Vol.10 (2), p.749-762
Main Authors: Antonelli, D., Sacco, C., Tamagno, J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerodynamic forces
Aerodynamic properties
Aerodynamic wing sections
CFD
Fluid structure interaction
Unsteady flows
Low Reynolds
Flexible airfoil
Partitioned method
Finite element method
Aerodynamics
Algorithms
Computational fluid dynamics
Computer simulation
Flapping
Flexibility
Flow equations
Flow simulation
Fluid flow
Heaving
Incompressible flow
Laminar flow
Propulsive efficiency
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Summary:Numerical simulations of flow patterns at ultra-low Reynolds numbers over rigid and flexible airfoils are presented, and the influence of flexibility on main aerodynamic properties are discussed. Typical unsteady flights like heaving and flapping are, in terms of Reynolds and Strouhal numbers, reduced frequencies and FSI (Fluid Structure Interaction) factor, are valuated. It has been found that for some flexibility levels, the aerodynamic forces and propulsive efficiency are enhanced if compared with a rigid airfoil. The mathematical technical approach used to solve the laminar-incompressible flow equations coupled with structural algorithms, is described.
ISSN:1735-3572
1735-3645
DOI:10.18869/acadpub.jafm.73.239.26632