Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7176029 | Journal of Fluids and Structures | 2015 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
The unsteady aerodynamic thrust and aeroelastic response of a two-dimensional membrane airfoil under prescribed harmonic motion are investigated computationally with a high-order Navier-Stokes solver coupled to a nonlinear membrane structural model. The effects of membrane prestress and elasticity are examined parametrically for selected plunge and pitch-plunge motions at a chord-based Reynolds number of 2500. The importance of inertial membrane loads resulting from the prescribed flapping is also assessed for pure plunging motions. This study compares the period-averaged aerodynamic loads of flexible versus rigid membrane airfoils and highlights the vortex structures and salient fluid-membrane interactions that enable more efficient flapping thrust production in low Reynolds number flows.
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Authors
Justin W. Jaworski, Raymond E. Gordnier,