Flow characteristics of a three-dimensional fixed micro air vehicle wing

5 A study concerning the aerodynamics of a micro-air vehicle wing is presented using both, numerical simulations and experimental techniques. Lift and drag predictions from the model are compared with measurements from a sting balance, and some disparities are identified around the critical stall angle. Experimental PIV measurements are performed under identical conditions (Re number and angles of attack) and comparisons are made with the numerical solutions to identify the sources of the discrepancies. Experimental results indicate a premature prediction of large scale separation on behalf of the numerical model at an angle of attack of 21°. Additional discrepancies are found in the prediction of the magnitudes of the wing-tip vortex; the numerical prediction being smaller than what was found in the experiment. Both the numerical and experimental findings support the development of a highly three-dimensional flow over the micro-air vehicle.

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