Abstract

The goal of this research is to perform 3D turbulence flow simulations to predict the drag of Wing-body-tail (WBT) and Wing-body-nacelle-Pylon (WBNP) aircraft configurations from NASA Common Research Models. These configurations are also part of the 4th and 6th AIAA Drag Prediction Workshops in which CFD modelers have participated worldwide. The computations are performed using CFD solver ANSYS FLUENT. The compressible Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are solved using two turbulence models – the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) and SST k-ω. Drag polar and drag rise curves are obtained by performing computations at different angles of attack at a constant Mach number. Pressure distributions and flow separation analysis are presented at different angles of attack. Comparison of computational results for WBT and WBNP models is made with the experimental data using the two turbulence models; good agreements is obtained. For WBNP, an aero-elastically deformed model of the wing is also considered at an angle of attack of 2.75°; the computations again are in reasonable agreement with the experiment. The computed WBNP results are compared with WB results for the drag increment study.

Committee Chair

Ramesh Agarwal

Committee Members

Ramesh Agarwal, Chair David Peters Swami Karunamoorthy

Comments

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K7SF2VKK

Degree

Master of Engineering (ME)

Author's Department

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Spring 5-19-2017

Language

English (en)

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