Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
Investigations of the external aerodynamics of the unpowered X-57 Mod-III configuration using computational fluid dynamics are presented. Two different Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solvers were used in the analysis: the STAR-CCM+ unstructured solver using polyhedral grid topology, and the Launch Ascent Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) structured curvilinear flow solver using structured overset grid topology. A grid refinement study was conducted and suitable grid resolution was determined by examining the forces and moments of the aircraft. Code-to-code comparison shows that STAR-CCM+ and LAVA are in good agreement both in quantitative values and trends. The angle-of-attack sweep and sideslip-angle sweep were performed. Results indicate that lift coefficients have a sharp drop at stall. At high angle of attack, STAR-CCM+ and LAVA show different flow separation behavior possibly due to differences in the turbulence model. The sideslip-angle sweep results show constant pitching moment from 0 to 15, then a sharp increase between 15 and 20 sideslip angle.
Keywords:
Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics; Aerodynamics
Type:
AFRC-E-DAA-TN67258
,
AIAA Aviation Forum 2019; Jun 17, 2019 - Jun 21, 2019; Dallas, TX; United States
Format:
application/pdf
