The creation of lift by sharp-edged delta wings. An analysis of a self-adaptive numerical simulation using the concept of vorticity content

Abstract

This article describes the self-adaptive method AMRFLEX3D which is used to compute steady, compressible inviscid and viscous flows. The adaptive capabilities are realized on the basis of structured blocks. This feature can be introduced into any structured multi-block CFD-code. A delta wing geometry at transonic flow conditions serves as test case for both Euler and Navier-Stokes simulations. After a description of the resulting grid-structure, investigations of the generation of circulation along the leading edge are presented. Using the self-adaptive grid system, a correlation between the strength of vortex layers and the circulation is found. A closer look at the circulation in the flow field reveals remarkable differences between Euler and Navier-Stokes simulations.