AN INVESTIGATION INTO NAVIER-STOKES SOLUTIONS OF THE FLOW AROUND WING-BODY GEOMETRIES

Abstract

In this paper the commercial CFD packages Star-CD and Flo++ was used to investigate the suitability of the Navier-Stokes method as a general aerodynamic design code. The packages were used to model a simple wing-wall geometry and the wing-fuselage junction of a hypothetical glider. The normal problems associated with Navier-Stokes codes, i.e. grid generation, solution time and accuracy were investigated. lt was found that the problems of grid generation and solution time have greatly been solved by a dedicated CAD interface and the availability of faster computers. The accuracy compared to experimental results was, however, lower than expected. This is due to the fact that only a simple k-e turbulence model was available for the commercial codes used. The Navier-Stokes method will be suitable as a general design code for glider designers as soon as better turbulence models become available.