Numerical Study of the Reynolds Number Effect on Low Aspect Ratio Wing at Low Speed.

Numerical studies were performed to understand the Reynolds number effect at high angle of attack and low-speed flight conditions for a supersonic aircraft configuration for which complex vortical flow dominates the overall flow field. To improve the simulation fidelity, dependency of the grid and the flow solver were surveyed. The characteristics of the turbulence modeling were also investigated by using several versions of the SA, k-omega SST and RSM models. The eddy viscosity significantly influences the vortex behavior at high angles of attack. With increasing Reynolds number, no obvious change of the flow field was observed at low angle of attack where the flow is mostly attached. However, the flow field was significantly changed at high angle of attack where the vortical flow dominates.