Effect of Aspect Ratio on Aerodynamic Characteristics at Low Reynolds Numbers

The effect of the aspect ratio on the aerodynamic characteristics of rectangular wings is experimentally investigated at Reynolds numbers on the order of 104. The aerodynamic coefficients are analyzed based on visualized flowfields and theoretical results. The characteristics of high-aspect-ratio wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AIAA journal 2013-07, Vol.51 (7), p.1631-1639
Main Authors: Mizoguchi, Makoto, Itoh, Hajime
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerodynamic characteristics
Aerodynamic coefficients
Aerodynamics
Applied fluid mechanics
Aspect ratio
Exact sciences and technology
Fluid dynamics
Fluid flow
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
High aspect ratio
Low Reynolds number
Physics
Qualitative analysis
Ratios
Rectangular wings
Reynolds number
Studies
Thickness ratio
Wing tip vortices
Wings (aircraft)
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Summary:The effect of the aspect ratio on the aerodynamic characteristics of rectangular wings is experimentally investigated at Reynolds numbers on the order of 104. The aerodynamic coefficients are analyzed based on visualized flowfields and theoretical results. The characteristics of high-aspect-ratio wings are shown to be affected by leading-edge separation bubbles at low Reynolds numbers. However, the qualitative characteristics are similar when the aspect ratio is 3.0 and above. The characteristics of wings with aspect ratios below 3.0 differ significantly from those of wings with large aspect ratios. In particular, a significant influence is revealed for aspect ratios of 1.0 and below. The effect of the aspect ratio is considered to be caused by wingtip vortices. The discussion also includes the effects of the Reynolds number, the shape of the leading edge, and the thickness ratio.
ISSN:0001-1452
1533-385X
DOI:10.2514/1.J051915