Vortical Structures over a Generic Tailless Chined Forebody–Delta Wing

Abstract

The flowfield over a model having a chined forebody and a simple delta wing was investigated experimentally using oil flow visualizations and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry at a mean chord-based Reynolds number of 2.3×105, angles of attack of 20 and 30 deg, and yaw angles of 0 and 5 deg. The flowfield over the model exhibited pairs of leading-edge vortices similar to those around a double-delta wing, except for the influence of the fuselage, where the chine vortex followed the curvature. The development and interaction of the two vortices were measured and analyzed. It was found that increasing the angle of attack resulted in wakelike vortices, whereas increasing the yaw angle yielded a wakelike vortex on the windward side and a jetlike vortex on the leeward side. The interaction of the windward side vortex with the physical barrier of the forebody surface was observed to greatly affect its behavior and the interaction downstream. In some configurations, the merged vortex exhibited a breakdown. The flowfield and the vortex dynamics under various conditions are discussed in detail to provide insight into manipulating the flowfield using physics-based flow control.