Numerical Study of Transonic Flow Characteristics Around a Compound Delta Wing
Disciplines
Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
Abstract (300 words maximum)
This study numerically examines the aerodynamic characteristics of a compound delta wing, designed with multiple sweep angles to enhance transonic performance. Inspired by the wing planform of the HAL Tejas, the leading-edge sweeps were strategically positioned to reduce wave drag while maintaining lift across a broad flight envelope. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted over Mach numbers from 0.75 to 1.1 in 0.05 increments, with angles of attack ranging from 0° to 55°. The Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach, coupled with the Spalart–Allmaras (SA) turbulence model, was employed due to its efficiency in capturing external aerodynamic flows at a reasonable computational cost. The numerical model was validated against experimental data by comparing surface pressure distributions and lift coefficients of delta wings. The compound delta wing’s performance was benchmarked against a baseline single-sweep delta wing. Results indicate a significant reduction in drag near Mach 1, with decreases exceeding 12% across multiple angles of attack. Although the maximum lift coefficient exhibited a modest reduction of about 5%, the lift-to-drag ratio improved by 7–15% across the transonic regime, with the highest efficiency gain of nearly 14% observed at Mach 1.05. Averaged across the entire range, the compound configuration achieved an improvement of approximately 10.5% in aerodynamic efficiency. These findings demonstrate that the compound delta wing offers meaningful efficiency benefits in the transonic regime, highlighting its potential for application in next-generation aircraft design.
Use of AI Disclaimer
no
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET – Mechanical Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Gaurav Sharma
PowerPoint Presentation
Numerical Study of Transonic Flow Characteristics Around a Compound Delta Wing
This study numerically examines the aerodynamic characteristics of a compound delta wing, designed with multiple sweep angles to enhance transonic performance. Inspired by the wing planform of the HAL Tejas, the leading-edge sweeps were strategically positioned to reduce wave drag while maintaining lift across a broad flight envelope. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted over Mach numbers from 0.75 to 1.1 in 0.05 increments, with angles of attack ranging from 0° to 55°. The Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach, coupled with the Spalart–Allmaras (SA) turbulence model, was employed due to its efficiency in capturing external aerodynamic flows at a reasonable computational cost. The numerical model was validated against experimental data by comparing surface pressure distributions and lift coefficients of delta wings. The compound delta wing’s performance was benchmarked against a baseline single-sweep delta wing. Results indicate a significant reduction in drag near Mach 1, with decreases exceeding 12% across multiple angles of attack. Although the maximum lift coefficient exhibited a modest reduction of about 5%, the lift-to-drag ratio improved by 7–15% across the transonic regime, with the highest efficiency gain of nearly 14% observed at Mach 1.05. Averaged across the entire range, the compound configuration achieved an improvement of approximately 10.5% in aerodynamic efficiency. These findings demonstrate that the compound delta wing offers meaningful efficiency benefits in the transonic regime, highlighting its potential for application in next-generation aircraft design.