A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Tail Buffeting Alleviation Using Streamwise Fences

Abstract

A multidisciplinary analysis of vertical tail buffeting and buffeting alleviation of generic fighter aircraft is conducted. This complex multidisciplinary problem is solved for the fluid dynamics, structure dynamics, fluid-structure coupling, and grid deformation using a computing environment that controls the temporal synchronization of the data transfer between the analysis modules. The generic fighter aircraft consists of a sharp-edged delta wing with an aspect ratio of one and a swept-back, flexible, vertical twin tail with a taper ratio of 0.23. Twin streamwise fences are located at the 30% chord-station of the delta wing. The fences are used to alter the vortical flow and to delay the onset of vortex breakdown above the delta wing, in order to alleviate the twin-tail buffeting. The effect of the geometrical shape of the fences on the buffeting responses is investigated. The performance of the fences over a wide range of high angles of attack is also investigated. The trapezoidal configuration of the fences at a taper ratio of 0.7 produced the most favorable results. The results indicated that the fences are effective in reducing the aeroelastic loads and responses, especially at angles of attack less than 30°.

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