What is it about?
A wind tunnel test of a bump model that mimics a wing-body junction of a flight vehicle is used to compare to computer simulations. This paper compares the initial testing conditions produced by the wind tunnel vs. the computational models. It also gives some unique insight to how air moves around an aircraft-like body.
Featured Image
Photo by Dirk van Wolferen on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Conducting experiments inside wind tunnels is often an expensive endeavor. From the fabrication of the parts, to the sensors and fixtures to measure the air flow, a lot of time is spent making sure that aerodynamic bodies are acting as we expect them to. Computer models are more efficient than physical experiments, but sometimes lack the accuracy that is critical in a flight scenario. Validation experiments are needed to identify where the models need improvement.
Perspectives
This paper serves as an introduction to a series of works on the Boeing Bump model. Initial study shows that there is a gold mine of information to be acquired over the course of experimentation, and simulation.
Patrick Gray
University of Notre Dame
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A New Validation Experiment for Smooth-Body Separation, July 2021, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2021-2810.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
