Characterization, Optimization and Application of Leading-Edge Tubercle Wings

前沿结节是一种空气动力学装置，其生物灵感来自于驼背鲸鳍的形态。对于鲸鱼来说，鳍结节似乎是一种功能性适应，使其能够在捕获猎物时增强转向的机动性。对于传统的机翼，前缘的结节起着被动流动控制装置的作用。初步的经验证据表明，结节前缘机翼在延迟失速和改善后失速特性方面具有潜在的好处。小节沿机翼前缘的形状和位置，用小节的波长和幅度表示，似乎对其气动性能起着关键作用。然而，到目前为止，在理解结节形状和放置参数对亚音速有限跨度机翼流动的敏感性和对跨音速流动的敏感性以及这种生物激励装置的设计和应用方面，仍然存在着值得进一步研究的重大挑战。该项目旨在通过风洞测试和流动可视化获得关于前沿结节流体动力学行为的更多知识。它还旨在开发分析和设计方法，以优化这种设备的形状，并探索其潜在的应用。特别是，该项目将探索应用结节来增强无人机的低速、大迎角和转弯性能的潜在收益，以及缓解垂直轴风力涡轮机的大诱导攻角和动态失速干扰，以改善其能量提取。此外，该项目还将为学生提供实验和计算流体力学、应用空气动力学、设计综合和数值优化领域的培训。

Leading-edge tubercles are aerodynamic devices biologically inspired from the morphology of hump-back whale fins. In the case of whales, the fin tubercles appear to be a functional adaptation which allow it to enhance turning maneuverability during prey capture. For conventional wings, tubercles on the leading-edge act as passive flow-control devices. Initial empirical evidence has shown potential benefits of tubercle leading-edge wings to delay stall and improve post-stall characteristics. The shape and placement of the tubercles along a wing leading edge, expressed in terms of tubercle wavelength and amplitude, seem to play a critical role on its aerodynamic performance. To date however, significant challenges worthy of further study remain in understanding the sensitivity of tubercle shape and placement parameters to the flow of finite span wings in the subsonic to transonic flow regimes and in the design and application of this bioinspired devices. The project aims to gain additional knowledge on the fluid dynamics behaviour of leading edge tubercles through wind-tunnel testing and flow visualization. It also aims to develop analysis and design approaches to optimize the shape of this devices and explore their potential applications. In particular, the project will explore potential gains of applying tubercles to enhanced low speed, high angle of attack and turning performance for unmanned aerial vehicles as well as mitigate large induced angle of attack and dynamic stall interactions for vertical axis wind-turbines which can improve their energy extractions. Moreover the project will provide training for students in the areas of experimental and computational fluid mechanics, applied aerodynamics, design synthesis and numerical optimization.