Aeroelastic simulation of high-aspect ratio wings with intermittent leading-edge separation

Abstract

We present a medium-fidelity aeroelastic framework for computing intermittently separating three-dimensional (3-D) flows around high-aspect ratio wings with a significantly reduced computational cost compared to the computational-fluid- dynamics-based method. To achieve that, we propose a modified three-dimensional vortex panel method with leading-edge separation controlled by leading-edge suction parameter theory, and its incorporation in a coupled aeroelastic solver for the dynamic response of these systems. Numerical verifications and simulations are presented on both attached and separated aeroelastic test cases, demonstrating the method on postflutter limit-cycle oscillation of a cantilever wing, and leading-edge separation on a deploying wing, a complex kinematic response. In both cases we were able to capture three-dimensional interactions on intermittently separating dynamic flowfields using a low computational cost.