Experimental Investigation of Seabird-Like Wings in Ground Effect

Abstract

Seabirds are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. They usually fly over and close to the surface of the sea during hunting for food. It is believed that the shapes of their wing structures may have advantages in flying proximity to the surface of the sea better than other birds. It is expected that the study of the characteristics of these wing shapes is useful to the wing in ground effect (WIG) design. Hence, this research aims to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of various seabird-like wings in proximity of the ground. The wings with and without ground effect are aerodynamically tested in a close circuit low speed wind tunnel of 1 m. × 1 m. test section and at free stream velocity of 40 m/s or Reynolds Number of 240,000. The test results show the effect of ground proximity to the aerodynamic performance of the wings, such as the lift coefficients, the drag coefficients, and the lift to drag ratio, at variety of angles of attack. The stall characteristics are also investigated. The aerodynamic performances of the seabird-like wings are also compared to the rectangular wing of the same aspect ratio. It is concluded that the wings of seabird like shapes provide better aerodynamic performance when in ground effect compared to the normal rectangular wing.