This article highlights the ‘synergistic’ use of experimental fluid dynamics (EFD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), where the two sets of simulations are performed concurrently and by the same researcher. In particular, examples from the area of ground effect aerodynamics are discussed, where the major facility used was also designed through a combination of CFD and EFD. Three examples are than outlined, to demonstrate the insight that can be obtained from the integration of CFD and EFD studies. The case studies are the study of dimple flow (to enhance aerodynamic performance), the analysis of a Formula-style front wing and wheel, and the study of compressible flow ground effect aerodynamics. In many instances, CFD has been used to not only provide complementary information to an experimental study, but to design the experiments. Laser-based, non-intrusive experimental techniques were used to provide an excellent complement to CFD. The large datasets found from both experimental and numerical simulations have required a new methodology to correlate the information; a new post-processing method has been developed, making use of the kriging and co-kriging estimators, to develop correlations between the often disparate data types.
CummingsR. M.KnowlesK.Guest editorial. Proc. IMechE, Part G: J. Aerospace Engineering., 2009, 223, i–ii.
2.
DoigG.BarberT.NeelyA.MyreD.Experimental validation as an integral component of computational fluid dynamic research. ANZIAM J., 2010, 51, C265–C279.
3.
BarberT.DoigG.BevesC.WatsonI.DiasinosS.Keynote lecture: running on all cylinders – the integration of CFD and EFD for ground effect aerodynamics studies. In Symposium on Integrating CFD and experiments in aerodynamics, 2009. The von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Brussels, Belgium, 14–16 September 2009.
4.
BarberT. J.Aerodynamic ground effect: a case-study of the integration of CFD and experiments. Int. J. Vehicle Des., 2006, 40(4), 299–316.
5.
BarberT.Technical note on the appropriate CFD boundary conditions for the prediction of ground effect aerodynamics. Aeronaut. J., 1999, 103(1029), 545–547.
6.
BarberT.LeonardiE.ArcherR.Causes for discrepancies in ground effect analyses. Aeronaut. J., 2002, 106(1066), 653–657.
7.
FagoB.LindnerH.MahrenholtzO.The effect of ground simulation on the flow around vehicles in wind tunnel testing. J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn., 1991, 38, 47–57.
8.
LambJ.Critical velocities for rocket sled excitation for rail resonance. Johns Hopkins APL Tech. Digest., 2001, 21(3), 448–458.
9.
PurdonJ.MudfordN.KleineH.Supersonic projectiles in the vicinity of solid obstacles. In Proceedings of the 27th International Congress on High-Speed Photography and Photonics, 2007, SPIE, Bellingham, Vol. 6279, 2007, p. 627929.
10.
DiasinosS.BarberT. J.LeonardiE.HallS. D.The Validation of a 2D CFD model for the implementation of a Moving Ground in a UNSW Wind Tunnel. In Proceedings of the 5th Pacific Symposium on Flow visualization and image processing (PSFVIP5). 2005Daydream Island, Australia, 27–29 September 2005, Published on CD-Rom, Paper 3.2, 12 pp.
11.
BarlowJ. B.RaeW. H.PopeA.Low-speed wind tunnel testing, third edition, 1998 (John Wiley and Sons, New York).
12.
MotsonB. C.ArcherR. D.Design features of the low speed 4ftx3ft return circuit wind tunnel, report no. 19969/FMT/3, 1969 (University of New South Wales, Australia).
13.
RoacheP.Verification and validation in computational science and engineering, 1998 (Hermosa, Alb-querque, Mexico).
14.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Guide for the verification and validation of computational fluid dynamics simulations. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, G-077-1998. 1998.
15.
IsaevS.Leont'evA. I.Analysis of the effect of viscosity on the vortex dynamics at laminar separated flow past a dimple on a plane with allowance for its asymmetry. J. Engng Phys. Thermophys., 2001, 74(2).
16.
MahmoodG.SabbaghM. Z.Heat transfer in a channel with dimples and protrusions on opposite walls. J. Thermophys. Heat Transfer, 2001, 15(3), 275–283.
17.
BurgessN.OliveraM. M.Nusselt number behaviour on deep dimpled surface within a channel. J. Heat Transfer., 2003, 125, 11–18.
18.
ChewY.KhooB. C.Flow visualization studies on flow structures within spherical dimples of different depths with/without round edges. In Proceeding of 5th PSFVIP, PSFVIP-5-280, 2005. Australia, 27–29 September 2005, pp. 11.
19.
ZerihanJ.ZhangJ.Aerodynamics of a single element wing in ground effect. J. Aircraft, 2000, 37(6), 1058–1064.
20.
SovranG.KlompE. D.Experimentally determined optimum geometries for rectilinear diffusers with rectangular, canonical or annular cross-section. Fluids mechanics of internal flows, 1967, pp. 270–319 (Elsevier Publishing Co., New York).
21.
MittalS.KumarB.Flow past a rotating cylinder. J. Fluid Mech., 2003, 476, 303–334.
22.
Fackrell, J. E. The aerodynamics of an isolated wheel in contact with the ground. Ph D Dissertation, Faculty of Engineering, University of London, 1974.
23.
Fackrell, J. E. and Harvey, J. K. The aerodynamics of an isolated road wheel. In Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Aerodynamics of sports and competition automobiles, Los Angeles, California, USA, 1975, pp. 119–125, collection of AIAA papers (Western Periodicals Co., North Hollywood, California).
24.
Axon, L. The aerodynamic characteristics of automobile wheels - CFD prediction and wind tunnel experiment. The aerodynamic characteristics of automobile wheels – CFD prediction and wind tunnel experiment.
25.
DiasinosS.The aerodynamic interaction of a rotating wheel and a downforce producing wing in ground effect, 29, Ph D Dissertation, University of New South Wales, 2009.
26.
DoigG.BarberT. J.LeonardiE.NeelyA. J.KleineH.Methods for investigating supersonic ground effect in a blowdown wind tunnel. Shock Waves, 2008, 18(2), 155–159.
27.
DoigG.BarberT.LeonardiE.NeelyA.An investigation of flow field interactions with the ground around a supersonic land speed record vehicle using thermochromic liquid crystals and CFD. In Proceedings of the International Heat Transfer Conference, IHTC-13, Sydney, Australia, 13–18 August 2006. Paper EXP-19.
CookP.McDonaldM. A.FirminM. C. P.Aerofoil RAE 2822 - Pressure distributions, and boundary layer and wake measurements. Experimental data base for computer program assessment. AGARD Report AR 138, 1979.
30.
KrigeD.A statistical approach to some basic mine valuation problems on the Witwatersrand. J. Chem. Metallurg. Mining Soc. South Africa, 1951, 52, 119–138.
31.
Matheron, G. La thorie des variables rgionalises et ses applications, 1970 (Les Cahiers du Centre de Morphologie Mathmatique de Fontainebleau, Ecole Suprieure des Mines de Paris, Paris).
32.
LaurenceauJ.SagautP.Building efficient response surfaces of aerodynamic functions with kriging and cokriging. AIAA J., 2008, 46(2), 498–507.
33.
WackernagelH.Multivariate geostatistics: an introduction with applications, 2003 (Springer-Verlag, Berlin).
