Characterization, Optimization and Application of Leading-Edge Tubercle Wings

前缘结节是一种空气动力学装置，其生物学灵感来自座头鲸鳍的形态。在鲸鱼的情况下，鳍结节似乎是一种功能性的适应，使其能够提高猎物捕获过程中的转向机动性。对于常规机翼，前缘上的瘤状突起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过失速特性方面具有潜在的好处。沿着机翼前缘的结节的形状和位置，用结节波长和振幅表示，似乎对其气动性能起着关键作用。然而，到目前为止，值得进一步研究的重大挑战仍然是在了解结节形状和位置参数的敏感性，以有限翼展机翼在亚音速到跨音速的流动制度，并在设计和应用这种生物启发设备。该项目旨在通过风洞试验和流动可视化获得关于前缘结节的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，以优化这种器件的形状，并探索其潜在的应用。特别是，该项目将探索将结节应用于增强无人驾驶飞行器的低速，大迎角和转弯性能的潜在收益，以及减轻垂直轴风力涡轮机的大诱导迎角和动态失速相互作用，从而改善其能量提取。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等领域的培训。

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.