Investigation into the Formation of Wing-Tip Vortices.

摘要

A resume of the program of theoretical investigations into wing-tip vortex formation which is now in progress in the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at the Technion,Haifa,is given. The work is proceeding along two separate paths which it is hoped eventually to amalgamate. The first investigation consists of numerical work on the rolling up of the wing trailing vortex system when it is represented by discrete vortices according to a series of models of increasing complexity starting from the two-dimensional elliptic distribution as originally treated by Westwater and proceeding by stages through various lifting-line and lifting-surface models,including some exhibiting non-linear lift characteristics. The second project is a detailed investigation of the flow field near wing tips and wake edges,including thickness effects. It is felt that the precise flow field near wing tips and the wake edges must be understood if the rolling up and structure of the trailing-vortex cores is to be properly studied. (Author)