The effects of wind-tunnel model design on flowfield and aerodynamic behavior for large aspect-ratio wings

By solving unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with SST turbulence model, the flowfields of the vibrating airfoils for wing models with large aspect-ratio in wind tunnel experiments were simulated. The flowfield and aerodynamic behavior of airfoils vibrating in different types were summarized, and the effects of designed models in different cases on the flowfield and aerodynamic behavior were investigated. It is shown that the vibrations of the airfoil can cause large-scale unsteady separated vortex shedding if the vibration amplitude reaches to a certain amount. When the centre of gravity of the airfoil locates downstream the elastic axis of the wing, the elastic vibration will have less effects on the flowfields and the aerodynamic behavior. This conclusion is valuable to the wing model design for wing tunnel experiments, especially for wind with large aspect-ratio.