Appraisal of Numerical Methods in Predicting the Aerodynamics of Forward-Swept Wings

Abstract

The capabilities of different numerical methods in evaluating the aerodynamic characteristics of a forward-swept wing in subsonic and transonic flow are analyzed. The numerical results, obtained by means of potential, Euler, and Navier-Stokes solvers, are compared with experimental data. In particular, attention is focused on the aerodynamic quantities related to pressure distributions. Moreover, an attempt is made to investigate the capability of a Navier-Stokes solver to predict separation lines; both laminar Navier-Stokes equations and Reynolds-averaged equations with a k-ε model are considered. This analysis is carried out by comparing the numerical velocity field to the experimental visualizations, obtained through liquid crystals. All of the numerical solvers give results consistent with the physical limits of the equations that they discretized.