A Novel Optimised Design Using Slots for Flow Control and High- Lift Performance of Ucavs

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Novel Optimised Design Using Slots for Flow Control and High- Lift Performance of Ucavs A Novel Optimised Design Using Slots for Flow Control and High- Lift Performance of UCAVs Usman Ali Aeronautical Engineering School of Computing Science and Engineering University of Salford, Salford, UK Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, April 2017 ii Tables of Contents TABLES OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ II LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... XIV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ XVI ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... XVII CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................... 9 2.1. A Brief Review of Flying Wings ...................................................................................................... 9 2.2. Aerodynamics of Flying Wing ...................................................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Vortex Lift ..................................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Vortex Breakdown ........................................................................................................................ 20 2.2.3 Swept wings.................................................................................................................................. 22 2.2.4 Flying Wings at Low Speed ........................................................................................................... 26 2.3. Introduction to Flow Control ....................................................................................................... 27 iii 2.3.1 Radar Cross Section ...................................................................................................................... 30 2.3.2 High Lift Devices ........................................................................................................................... 32 2.4. Role of UAVs ............................................................................................................................... 33 2.5. Computational Aerodynamics ..................................................................................................... 36 2.6. Computational Fluid Dynamics .................................................................................................... 39 2.6.1 Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes Equations ............................................................................... 48 2.6.2 Turbulence Modelling .................................................................................................................. 52 2.6.3 Near-Wall Turbulence .................................................................................................................. 57 2.7. Vortex Lattice Method ................................................................................................................ 61 2.8. Introduction to Optimisation ...................................................................................................... 67 2.8.1 Optimisation Algorithms .............................................................................................................. 68 2.8.2 Direct Search Methods ................................................................................................................. 70 2.9. Previous Studies .......................................................................................................................... 72 2.9.1 Experimental Findings .................................................................................................................. 73 2.9.2 Computational Findings ............................................................................................................... 78 CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .......................................................................... 83 3.1. Experiment Methodology ........................................................................................................... 84 3.1.1 Experiment Parameters ................................................................................................................ 84 3.1.2 Wind Tunnel Calibration ............................................................................................................... 86 3.1.3 Experiment Procedure.................................................................................................................. 90 3.2. Computational Methodology ...................................................................................................... 91 3.2.1 Geometry and Grid Details ........................................................................................................... 93 3.2.2 Boundary Conditions .................................................................................................................... 99 3.2.3 Solver Settings ............................................................................................................................ 103 iv 3.3. Vortex Lattice Method Approach .............................................................................................. 107 CHAPTER 4. FLOW VISUALISATION OF CLEAN WINGS .................................................... 111 4.1. Problem Description ................................................................................................................. 111 4.2. Results and Discussion .............................................................................................................. 114 CHAPTER 5. PREDICTIONS OF STABILITY AND CONTROL ................................................ 128 5.1. Problem Description ................................................................................................................. 128 5.2. Computational Details .............................................................................................................. 129 5.2.1 Geometry and Grid ..................................................................................................................... 129 5.2.2 Solver Settings ............................................................................................................................ 132 5.3. Stability and Control Results ..................................................................................................... 133 CHAPTER 6. FLOW CONTROL ......................................................................................... 140 6.1. Flow Control Description ........................................................................................................... 140 6.2. Flow Control Results ................................................................................................................. 146 CHAPTER 7. NUMERICAL OPTIMISATION ....................................................................... 157 7.1. CFD Approach to Optimisation .................................................................................................. 157 7.2. Computational Details of Optimised Wings ............................................................................... 167 7.2.1 Geometry and Mesh Details ....................................................................................................... 168 7.2.2 Solver Settings ............................................................................................................................ 172 7.3. Optimisation Results and Discussion ......................................................................................... 173 v CHAPTER 8. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................. 184 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 188 APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................... 198 vi List of Figures Figure 1.1: Highly swept flying wing UCAV configurations (Google, 2014) .......................... 3 Figure 2.1: First turbojet-powered flying wing aircraft (Okonkwo & Smith, 2016) ............ 11 Figure 2.2: B2-Spirit Stealth Bomber (Okonkwo & Smith, 2016) ........................................ 11 Figure 2.3: Four variants of delta wing planform (J.D. Anderson, 2010) ............................ 13 Figure 2.4: Schematic of formation of leading edge vortices over the top of a delta wing at an angle of attack (Houghton & Carpenter, 2003) .............................................................. 14 Figure 2.5: Three regions within leading edge vortex (Earnshaw, 1961) ............................ 14 Figure 2.6: Schematic of the spanwise pressure coefficient distribution across a delta wing (J.D. Anderson, 2010) .......................................................................................................... 17 Figure 2.7: Lift coefficient
Recommended publications
  • Imperial Airways
    IMPERIAL AIRWAYS 1 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. AW.XV Atlanta, G-ABPI, Imperial Airways. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 2 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. G-ADSR, Ensign Imperial Airways, air to air. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 3 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. AW15 Atlanta, G-ABPI, Imperial Airways, air to air, 1932. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 4 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. Argosy I, G-EBLF, Imperial Airways, 1929. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 5 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. Ensign, G-ADSR, Imperial Airways, 1937. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 6 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. Atlanta, G-ABTL, Astraea Imperial Airways, Royal Mail GR. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 7 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. Atalanta, G-ABTK, Athena, Imperial Airways. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 8 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. AW Argosy, G-EBLO, Imperial Airways. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 9 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. AW Ensign, G-ADSR, Imperial Airways, air to air. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 10 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. Ensign, G-ADSR, Imperial Airways, air to air. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 11 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. Argosy I, G-EBOZ, Imperial Airways. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 12 ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH. AW 27 Ensign, G-ADSR, Imperial Airways, air to air. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 13 AVRO. 652, G-ACRM, Imperial Airways. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 14 AVRO. 652, G-ACRN, Imperial Airways. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 15 AVRO. Avalon, G-ACRN, Imperial Airways. Photograph, 9 x 14 cm. 6,00 16 BENNETT, D. C.
    [Show full text]
  • Handley Page, Lachmann, Flow Control and Future Civil Aircraft
    Handley Page, Lachmann, flow control and future civil aircraft John Green ABSTRACT Frederick Handley Page and Gustav Lachmann independently developed and patented the concept of the slotted wing as a means of increasing maximum lift. Subsequently they co-operated on the project and Lachmann joined Handley Page Ltd. The Handley Page slotted wing became used worldwide, generating substantial income for the company from use of the patent, and its descendents can be found on all modern transport aircraft. In the years following World War II, Lachmann led research at Handley Page to reduce drag by keeping the boundary layer laminar by surface suction. Handley Page led this field in the UK and developed a number of aircraft concepts, none of which came to fruition as full scale projects. However, looking to the future, the basic concept of laminar flow control holds out arguably the greatest potential of all technologies for reducing the fuel burn and environmental impact of future civil aircraft. 1. INTRODUCTION This is the story of two men of genius, Frederick Handley Page and Gustav Lachmann, Figs. 1 and 2. They were brought together by chance, as a result of having independently, and unknown to each other, invented and patented the same aerodynamic concept. During World War I they had been on opposite sides. Handley Page, who had been 28 at the outbreak of hostilities, established his company’s reputation as the designer of the large biplane bombers, the ‘bloody paralysers’ sought by the Royal Navy in 1914, that made a great contribution to the war effort in 1917 and 1918.
    [Show full text]
  • Ballooning Collection, the Cuthbert-Hodgson Collection, Which Is Probably One of the fi Nest of Its Kind in the World
    SOCIETY NEWS qÜÉ=pçÅáÉíóÛë=iáÄê~êó b~êäó=_~ääççåáåÖ iáíÜçÖê~éÜë=~åÇ=mêáåíë ÜÉ=oçó~ä=^Éêçå~ìíáÅ~ä=pçÅáÉíó áãéçêí~åí=îáëì~ä=êÉÅçêÇ=çÑ=ã~åÛë qiáÄê~êó= ÜçìëÉë= çåÉ= çÑ= íÜÉ É~êäó= ~ëÅÉåíë= áåíç= íÜÉ= ~áê= ~í= íÜÉ ïçêäÇÛë=ÑáåÉëí=ÅçääÉÅíáçåë=çÑ=É~êäó îÉêó= Ç~ïå= çÑ= ~îá~íáçå= ~ë Ä~ääççåáåÖ= ã~íÉêá~ä= EÄççâëI éçêíê~óÉÇ= Äó= áääìëíê~íçêë= ~åÇ é~ãéÜäÉíëI= åÉïëé~éÉê= ÅìííáåÖëI ÉåÖê~îÉêë=çÑ=íÜÉ=íáãÉK éêáåíë= ~åÇ= äáíÜçÖê~éÜë= ~åÇ qÜÉ= Ä~ääççå= ï~ë= Äçêå= áå ÅçããÉãçê~íáîÉ= ãÉÇ~äëF= ïÜáÅÜ cê~åÅÉ= áå= NTUP= ÇìêáåÖ= íÜÉ= ä~íÉJ Ü~ë= ÄÉÉå= ìëÉÇ= Äó= êÉëÉ~êÅÜÉêë NUíÜ= ÅÉåíìêó= båäáÖÜíÉåãÉåí Ñêçã= dÉêã~åóI= cê~åÅÉ= ~åÇ= íÜÉ éìêëìáí= çÑ= ëÅáÉåíáÑáÅ= âåçïäÉÇÖÉX råáíÉÇ=pí~íÉëK íÜÉ=~Äáäáíó=íç=íê~îÉä=íÜêçìÖÜ=íÜÉ `çãéäÉãÉåíáåÖ= íÜÉ= ÑáåÉ ~áê=çéÉåÉÇ=ìé=éÉçéäÉëÛ=ãáåÇë=íç ÅçääÉÅíáçå= çÑ= É~êäó= Ä~ääççåáåÖ íÜÉ= éçëëáÄáäáíáÉë= çÑ= ~Éêá~ä ~åÇ= ~Éêçå~ìíáÅ~ä= Äççâë= áë= ~ å~îáÖ~íáçå=~åÇ=åÉïë=çÑ=íÜÉ=É~êäó ã~àçê= ÅçääÉÅíáçå= çÑ= ~êçìåÇ= TMM ~ëÅÉåíë= ï~ë= íê~åëãáííÉÇ= ê~éáÇäó É~êäó= Ä~ääççåáåÖ= äáíÜçÖê~éÜëL ~Åêçëë= bìêçéÉK= ^= é~êí= çÑ= íÜáë éêáåíëLéçëíÉêëK= qÜáë= ÅçääÉÅíáçå= Ô éêçÅÉëë= ï~ë= íÜÉ= éêçÇìÅíáçå= çÑ ïÜáÅÜ= áë= Ä~ëÉÇ= ã~áåäó= çå= íÜÉ åìãÉêçìë= äáíÜçÖê~éÜëLéêáåíë ÜçäÇáåÖë= çÑ= íÜÉ= `ìíÜÄÉêíJ ÅçããÉãçê~íáåÖ= é~êíáÅìä~ê eçÇÖëçå= `çääÉÅíáçå= EïÜáÅÜ= ï~ë ~ëÅÉåíë= çê= ~Éêá~ä= îçó~ÖÉëI= ~åÇ áå=NVQT=éìêÅÜ~ëÉÇ=áå=áíë=ÉåíáêÉíó íÜÉ= iáÄê~êó= ÜçäÇë= Éñ~ãéäÉë= çÑ Äó= páê= cêÉÇÉêáÅâ= e~åÇäÉó= m~ÖÉ ã~åó= îáÉïë= çÑ= ~ëÅÉåíë= ~Åêçëë o^Ép=iáÄê~êó=éÜçíçëK ~åÇ= éêÉëÉåíÉÇ= íç= íÜÉ= pçÅáÉíóI _êáí~áåI= cê~åÅÉ= ~åÇ= çíÜÉê dÉçêÖÉ=`êìáÅâëÜ~åâ=Úq~ñá=_~ääççåëÛ=Ô Ú^=ëÅÉåÉ=áå=íÜÉ=c~êÅÉ=çÑ=içÑíó
    [Show full text]
  • Handley Page O/400 Bomber Crew
    Handley Page exhibition Large Print Guide Please leave in the gallery for other visitors to use. Outside West Keepers’ Gallery Radlett Aerodrome in September 1947 The site of Radlett Aerodrome in June 2018 West Keepers’ Gallery Three panels on right hand wall Sir Frederick Handley Page Frederick Handley Page was born in 1885 and was just 18 years old when the Wright Brothers completed the first ever controlled, powered flight in 1903. Three years later, in 1906, Handley Page graduated as an Electrical Engineer and joined The Aeronautical Society. In June 1909 he started the first company specifically for aeronautical engineering in the country. Handley Page's interests were very wide. He cared passionately about good education and helped to found Cranfield College of Aeronautics, and supported Northampton Polytechnic. He was deeply committed to safety and is sometimes referred to as “the father of the Air Registration Board”. He was knighted in 1942 for his contribution to the war effort. He had enormous charisma and he made a point of making himself known to all his employees from the shop floor upwards and generated enormous loyalty. Images: 1. Sir Frederick Handley Page at the Radlett Aerodrome in the 1950s 2. Handley Page with one of his test pilots in 1918 Handley Page moves to Radlett In 1912, Handley Page moved his company to Cricklewood where they were eventually able to fly from the airfield at the Cricklewood aerodrome. From here Handley Page developed the O/100 and O/400 bombers which were used during the First World War, but by the late 1920s housing was being built much closer to the aerodrome and a new site was needed.
    [Show full text]
  • West Essex Aviation, Airfields and Landing Grounds
    AIRFIELDS IN WEST ESSEX 1 WEST ESSEX AVIATION AIRFIELDS & LANDING GROUNDS ABRIDGE [Loughton Air Park] One of the lesser-known civil airfields in the West Essex area, Abridge was short lived and known by a number of titles. The site, part of the modern Piggotts Farm, was situated about half a mile north of Abridge village and west of the B172 Abridge to Theydon Bois road and the present farm buildings. The land that was once a grass airfield is now 80 agricultural acres bisected by a motorway. A small private landing ground with restricted access, the field offered a maximum landing run of 2,400ft in a NE/SW direction. Eventually there was a 70ft steel hanger with a 41 ft wide doorway on the eastern boundary, this being supplemented by three smaller metal lock up hangers each with 13ft 6inch wide doorways immediately to its north side. The only other building noted as related to the flying field was the club house on the south side of the field. Local press reports in 1932 stated that by then only the hanger and a single example of lock ups was then extant. Press reports also gave a slight variation on the dimensions of the landing ground, stating that it was set in 100 acres and gave a maximum run of 1,000yds [3,000ft]. Although this aerodrome was reported to have opened early in 1932 for the Essex Flying Club, an application to the Air Ministry for a licence was dated as late in the year as November 12.
    [Show full text]
  • Handley Page Ltd. 1909-1970 60 Years of Achievement
    Handley Page Ltd. 1909-1970. 60 years of Achievement. A.H.Fraser-Mitchell. F.R.Ae.S. Synopsis After a brief introduction, the six decades during which the Company operated are taken in turn, with the principal designs and events for each illustrated and discussed. It is shown that Handley Page was always in the forefront of the technology of the time, in design and production. The company was strong in research for the large structures in the early days, and renowned for the development of the aerodynamic slot principle. Later, they were perhaps the principal UK experts for laminar flow control and for flutter model techniques. Having won design competitions for RAF logistic (HP 111) and assault (Military Herald) transports, orders for these were vetoed on political grounds, leading to the firm’s eventual failure in 1970, early in the development of the HP 137 “Jetstream”. In other hands, the Victor tanker and the Jetstream have continued to serve, the Victor until 1993 and the Jetstream until 1997 with the RAF, and still in service Figure 1. Frederick Handley Page. with the Royal Navy. (1913, “Flight”) th Born at Cheltenham 15 November 1885 Early History. Second son of Frederick Page and Eliza Frederick Handley Page was trained as an electrical (neé Handley). engineer, graduating in 1906, but, inspired by the Graduated 1906 Electrical Engineer, Finsbury exploits of the Wright brothers, he began Tech. Joined Aero. Soc. In 1907. experimenting with, initially, flapping wings, and then Set up own business in 1907 supplying small parts and propellers to Weiss’ design.
    [Show full text]