Vortex wakes of Aircrafts by A.S. Ginevsky & A. I. Zhelannikov

ISBN: 9783642017599

Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG. 01 September 2009

Hard cover, 154 pages

Investigation of vortex wakes behind various aircraft, especially behind wide bodied and heavy cargo ones, is of both scientific and practical interest. The vortex wakes shed from the wing's trailing edge are long lived and attenuate only at distances of 10-12k behind the wake generating aircraft. The encounter of other aircraft with the vortex wake of a heavy aircraft is open to catastrophic hazards. For example, air refueling is a dangerous operation partly due to the possibility of the receiver aircraft's encountering the trailing wake of the tanker aircraft. It is very important to know the behavior of vortex wakes of aircraft during their takeoff and landing operations when he wakes can propagate over the airport's ground surface and be a serious hazard to other departing or arriving aircraft. This knowledge can help in enhancing safety of aircraft movements in the terminal areas of congested airports where the threat of vortex encounters limits passenger throughput. Theoretical Investigations of aircraft vortex wakes are being intensively performed the major aviationnations.Usedforthispurpose are various methods for mathematical modeling of turbulent flows: direct numerical simulation based on the Navier-Stokes equations, large eddy simulation using the Navier-Stokes equations in combination with subgrid scale modeling, simulation based on the Reynolds equations closed with a differential turbulence model. These approaches are widely used in works of Russian and other countries' scientists. It should be emphasized that the experiments in wind tunnels and studies of natural vortex wakes behind heavy and light aircraft in flight experiments are equally important.