Vortex Interactions above Multi-Swept Wing Planforms at Transonic Speeds

Abstract

In this study, the flow topology above two different multiple-swept delta wing configurations, a double delta wing and a triple delta wing, at transonic flow speeds is investigated numerically. The focus of this work is on the investigation of vortex-vortex and vortex-shock interactions at medium to high angles of attack. The angle of attack is varied in the range of 8° ≤ α ≤ 28° and the angle of sideslip in the range of 0° ≤ β ≤ 10°, while the Mach number is varied between 0.5 ≤ M ≤ 1.41. The numerical results are validated by experimental data from wind tunnel tests, in particular surface pressure data and integral forces and moments. For all investigated test cases, strong vortex-vortex interaction is observed. Additionally, at M = 0.85 vortex-shock interactions cause shock-induced vortex breakdown.