Aeroelastic Simulations of High Reynolds Number Aero Structural Dynamics Wind Tunnel Model

Abstract

This article presents results of numerical simulations of the HIRENASD High Reynolds Number Aero Structural Dynamics wind tunnel configuration. The activities consist of the selection of relevant transonic test cases, the set-up and simulation of the numerical models, as well as the comparison of computational and experimental results. Two steady (static coupling) and three unsteady (forced motion) test cases were selected, all in the transonic flow regime at Mach numbers up to 0.85 and Reynolds numbers up to 23 million. Good agreement between numerical and experimental data was obtained for both the steady and the unsteady test cases. It is shown that the consideration of the static elastic deformation of the wing is indispensable for both the steady and unsteady simulations. The unsteady simulations were executed in such a way that the elastic motion of the wing in a selected structural eigenmode was prescribed in a forced motion computational fluid dynamics simulation using grid deformation. This approach yields very satisfactory results in terms of the unsteady pressure distribution.