Instability analysis and drag coefficient prediction on a swept RAE2822 wing with constant lift coefficient

Abstract

Swept wing is widely used in civil aircraft, whose airfoil is chosen, designed and optimized to increase the cruise speed and decrease the drag coefficient. The parameters of swept wing, such as sweep angle and angle of attack, are determined according to the cruise lift coefficient requirement, and the drag coefficient is expected to be predicted accurately, which involves the instability characteristics and transition position of the flow. The pressure coefficient of the RAE2822 wing with given constant lift coefficient is obtained by solving the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation numerically, and then the mean flow is calculated by solving the boundary layer (BL) equation with spectral method. The cross-flow instability characteristic of boundary layer of swept wing in the windward and leeward is analyzed by linear stability theory (LST), and the transition position is predicted by eN method. The drag coefficient is numerically predicted by introducing a laminar/turbulent indicator. A simple approach to calculate the lift coefficient of swept wing is proposed. It is found that there is a quantitative relationship between the angle of attack and sweep angle when the lift coefficient keeps constant; when the angle of attack is small, the flow on the leeward of the wing is stable. when the angle of attack is larger than 3°, the flow becomes unstable quickly; with the increase of sweep angle or angle of attack the disturbance on the windward becomes more unstable, leading to the moving forward of the transition position to the leading edge of the wing; the drag coefficient has two significant jumping growth due to the successive occurrence of transition in the windward and the leeward; the optimal range of sweep angle for civil aircraft is suggested.