Browsing by Author "Roberts, Luke S."

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    Characteristics of boundary-layer transition and Reynolds-number sensitivity of three-dimensional wings of varying complexity operating in ground effect
    (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016-06-03) Roberts, Luke S.; Finnis, Mark V.; Knowles, Kevin
    The influence of Reynolds number on the aerodynamic characteristics of various wing geometries was investigated through wind-tunnel experimentation. The test models represented racing car front wings of varying complexity: from a simple single-element wing to a highly complex 2009-specification formula-one wing. The aim was to investigate the influence of boundary-layer transition and Reynolds-number dependency of each wing configuration. The single-element wing showed significant Reynolds-number dependency, with up to 320% and 35% difference in downforce and drag, respectively, for a chordwise Reynolds number difference of 0.81 × 105. Across the same test range, the multi-element configuration of the same wing and the F1 wing displayed less than 6% difference in downforce and drag. Surface-flow visualization conducted at various Reynolds numbers and ground clearances showed that the separation bubble that forms on the suction surface of the wing changes in both size and location. As Reynolds number decreased, the bubble moved upstream and increased in size, while reducing ground clearance caused the bubble to move upstream and decrease in size. The fundamental characteristics of boundary layer transition on the front wing of a monoposto racing car have been established.
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    Forcing boundary-layer transition on a single-element wing in ground effect
    (ASME, 2017-06-14) Roberts, Luke S.; Finnis, Mark V.; Knowles, Kevin
    The transition from a laminar to turbulent boundary layer on a wing operating at low Reynolds numbers can have a large effect on its aerodynamic performance. For a wing operating in ground effect, where very low pressures and large pressure gradients are common, the effect is even greater. A study was conducted into the effect of forcing boundary-layer transition on the suction surface of an inverted GA(W)-1 section single-element wing in ground effect, which is representative of a racing-car front wing. Transition to a turbulent boundary layer was forced at varying chordwise locations and compared to the free-transition case using experimental and computational methods. Forcing transition caused the laminar separation bubble, which was the unforced transition mechanism, to be eliminated in all cases and trailing-edge separation to occur instead. The aerodynamic forces produced by the wing with trailing-edge separation were shown to be dependent on trip location. As the trip was moved upstream the separation point also moved upstream, this led to an increase in drag and reduction in downforce. In addition to significant changes to the pressure field around the wing, turbulent energy in the wake was considerably reduced by forcing transition. The differences between free- and forced-transition wings were shown to be significant, highlighting the importance of modelling transition for ground-effect wings. Additionally, it has been shown that whilst it is possible to reproduce the force coefficient of a higher Reynolds number case by forcing the boundary layer to a turbulent state, the flow features, both on-surface and off-surface, are not recreated.
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    Modelling boundary-layer transition on wings operating in ground effect at low Reynolds numbers
    (Sage, 2018-10-25) Roberts, Luke S.; Finnis, Mark V.; Knowles, Kevin
    The transition-sensitive, three-equation k-kL-ω eddy-viscosity closure model was used for simulations of three-dimensional, single-element and multi-element wing configurations operating in close proximity to the ground. The aim of the study was to understand whether the model correctly simulated the transitional phenomena that occurred in the low Reynolds number operating conditions and whether it offered an improvement over the classical fully turbulent k-ω shear stress transport model. This was accomplished by comparing the simulation results to experiments conducted in a 2.7 m × 1.7 m closed-return, three-quarter-open-jet wind tunnel. The model was capable of capturing the presence of a laminar separation bubble on the wing and predicted sectional forces and surface-flow structures generated by the wings in wind tunnel testing to within 2.5% in downforce and 4.1% in drag for a multi-element wing. It was found, however, that the model produced insufficient turbulent kinetic energy during shear-layer reattachment, predicted turbulent trailing-edge separation prematurely in areas of large adverse pressure gradients, and was found to be very sensitive to inlet turbulence quantities. Despite these deficiencies, the model gave results that were much closer to wind-tunnel tests than those given by the fully turbulent k-ω shear stress transport model, which tended to underestimate downforce. Significant differences between the transitional and fully turbulent models in terms of pressure field, wake thickness and turbulent kinetic energy production were found and highlighted the importance of using transitional models for wings operating at low Reynolds numbers in ground effect. The k-kL-ω model has been shown to be appropriate for the simulation of separation-induced transition on a three-dimensional wing operating in ground effect at low Reynolds number.