Computational Model of Flexible Membrane Wings in Steady Laminar Flow

摘要

A compututiunnt procedure is presented that models the interaction of a two-dimensional flexible membrane wing and lamimir, high-Rcynnlds-mimber fluid flow, The membrane whin model is derived by combining a spallnl-coordlniilc-bused finite difference formulation of the equilibrium statement for an elastic membrane with a pressure-bused control volume formulntion of the incompressible Navier-Stokcs equations written in general curvilinear body-fitted coordinates. The model is applied to initially flat membrane wings of both vanishing and finite material stiffness us well as to flexible incxtenslblc wings with excess length. Computational results are presented for Reynolds numbers between 2 X 103 and 104. The results from the viscou.s-flow-based membrane wing model are compared with predictions using u potentlal-flow-based model as well as with experimental data for membrane wings In turbulent flow. Although the assumption of laminar flow precludes a quantitative comparison with the available experimental data, the solutions obtained capture many of the significant features of the tierochwtic Interaction that ure unaccounted for with n potentlnl flow description of the fluid dynamics.