B.

Tech Project Presentation

24 April 2014

Flow Modeling for High Altitude

Airships with Free and Forced
Transition Modelling
Ritu Gavasane
Guide: Prof. Murali Damodaran
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GANDHINAGAR
Discipline of Mechanical Engineering
VGEC Complex, Visat-Gandhinagar Highway
Chandkheda, Ahmedabad, GJ 382424
INDIA

Content

Problem statement

Previous work

Motivation behind present work

Computational Setup

Envelope Profile of Airship

Geometry and Computational Domain

Discretized Computational Domain

Physics: Initial and Boundary Conditions

Computational Results

Free Transition

Forced Transition

Validation of CFD Results with those of wind tunnel test

Comparison between free and forced transition

Conclusion

Problem statement
Modelling of high altitude Airship-fully turbulent
conditions
GNV Rao Airship

Modelling of ZHIYUAN-1 Airship transition modelling

Free transition
Forced transition
Validation of CFD results with experimental wind tunnel
test

Previous work: GNV Rao Airship

For = 100

Aerodynamic coefficients

Motivation behind present

work
Fully turbulence modelling overpredicts aerodynamic
forces
Transition modelling is absolutely essential for accurate
and near-to-practical results
Hence transition was modelled : ZHIYUAN-1 Airship

Computational Setup: Envelope Profile of Airship

Hull configuration

NACA 0010 for fin cross section

Fin configuration

Geometry of Airship
strips at x/c=0.52 for
forced transition case

(a) Airship geometry for free transition case

(b) Airship geometry for forced transition

case

Computational Domain
Freestream
No Slip Boundary
Condition on Hull
surface

Velocity Inflow

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Mesh Discretization
Mesh count :
0.52 million

Overlapping
mesh region

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Physics
Unsteady
Inflow velocity = 60.39
Reynolds number = 2.5106
The free stream turbulence level = 0.1 %
Turbulence modeling, K turbulence model
Transition modelling, -Re- Transition model
Simulations were performed for different angles of
attack () ranging from -300 to 300.

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Governing Equations
Integral form of Navier Stokes equation
Continuity Equation

Momentum Equation

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Computational results
Free transition

(a) Velocity profile

(b) Skin friction coefficient profile

(c) Wall Shear Stress for = 300

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Aerodynamic coefficients: Free

transition

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Computational results
Forced transition

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Comparison: Free and Forced transition

Wall Shear stress
At =120

Free transition

Forced transition

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Comparison: Free and Forced transition

Skin friction

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Velocity profile: Treftz plane

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Comparison of Force Coefficients

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Videos: Free transition

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Forced transition

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Discussion
All the computationally calculated force coefficients
agree well with the experimental wind tunnel tests.
Drag and Moment coefficients deviated from the
experimental values at lower angles of attack
In case of forced transition, flow separation was
observed at the position of strips on the airship hull.
The CFD results of free and forced transition did not
differ much for the assumed point of transition that was
positioned at x/c=0.52

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Thank You

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