Numerical and experimental studies of a morphing airfoil with trailing edge high-frequency flapping

At specified Reynolds numbers Re=ρvc/μ=5×105, this study investigates the power-extraction regime of a flapping-foil turbine executing a figure-eight trajectory. This study thoroughly explored the impacts of trajectory shape, heave and pitch amplitudes, phase difference, and pitch axis location on the power-extraction regime of a flapping turbine. A figure-eight trajectory substantially bolsters the energy harvesting capacity, achieving a peak efficiency of up to 50%. This trajectory capitalizes on the energy generated from the drag encountered by the flapping foil, thereby marking a significant efficiency breakthrough. This could denote a considerable progression for flapping foils tailored for heave and pitch motions since the free stream can be optimally harnessed by the trajectory we have established. In scenarios where the flapping foil undergoes the same maximum effective angle of attack, a wake diffusion spectrum aligns with the Betz limit threshold. Crucially, the closeness to this efficiency frontier suggests a universal maximum effective angle of attack—a consistent law that remains valid for the conventional flapping turbine design. It implies that selections for stroke and pitch amplitudes should be methodical rather than arbitrary. In addition, the positioning of the pitch axis ought to be modified in tandem with phase difference adjustments to bolster the synchronization between heaving motions and resultant lift. The ideal phase difference is variable, contingent on pitch amplitude and pitch axis position. Even with low pitch amplitudes, fine-tuning the phase difference guarantees that the energy harvesting efficiency does not fall below 30%. Such an enhancement would significantly broaden the operational envelope and the parameter space for flapping turbines.

The power-extraction regime of a figure-eight trajectory flapping-foil turbine

Zheng,

Yao,

Bai

et al. 2024

Unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of a morphing tail configuration

Jiang,

Chen,

Yang

et al. 2024

Morphing aircraft is an important trend in the future development of next-generation aircraft. This paper focuses on aircraft with a small aspect ratio flying wing configuration that includes morphing tails. The unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of the morphing tail configuration are numerically simulated using the unstructured overset grid technique and the dual-time method, focusing on the effects of the tail deflection angle over time, Mach number, and side slip angle on the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of the entire aircraft and tails. The second derivative of the tail deflection angle with time should be continuous, and the maximum angular velocity and maximum angular acceleration should be minimized. The hysteresis loop area is closely related to the Mach number. The sideslip angle aggravates the nonlinearity of the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of the entire aircraft. The unsteady aerodynamic characteristics during tail morphing are affected by static (wing downwash effect and projected area effect) and dynamic (flow field hysteresis effect, additional motion effect, and wall implication effect) characteristics. The enclosed research provides a reference for the aerodynamic and control system designs of morphing tail configurations.

Stability of secondary vortex evolution in wake of oscillating foils

Verma,

Khalid,

Hemmati

2024

The evolution of the secondary vortex arrangement around a foil, performing heaving and pitching motion, is numerically examined for a range of phase offsets (90 °≤ϕ≤ 270°) and reduced frequency (0.32 ≤Stc≤ 0.56), at a Reynolds number of 8000. The wake is dominated by two distinct systems of secondary hairpin-like structures. The first vortex system is associated with an elliptic instability, prompted by the paired primary and secondary leading edge vortices (LEV), which remains persistent within the entire range of Stc. However, the growth of the second system is more closely associated with undulations of the primary LEV at Stc≥ 0.40, which amplifies as it sheds downstream of the trailing edge. The characteristic presence of the first system is directly linked to the growth of the secondary LEV, formed due to the large-scale interactions under localized adverse pressure gradients. These features promote a streamwise flow compression in neighboring regions of the primary LEV. Subsequently, the stability of these wake arrangements is evaluated using dynamic mode decomposition technique, which identifies a neutrally stable state at the fundamental forcing frequency and its harmonics. However, an increase in the modulus of the first three modes, as Stc increases, coincides with stronger three-dimensionality in the wake. The fundamental mode characterizes the roller undulations, while subsequent modes reveal that the two systems of secondary hairpin-like structures are closely associated with the harmonics of forcing frequency.