Analysing the Effect of Reynolds Number and Aspect Ratio on the Wing Performance with Bio-inspired Passive Flow Control Devices

Abstract

Micro air vehicles (MAVs) are a special form of unmanned aircraft that are evolving rapidly every year due to their vast applications in civil and military sectors. Such vehicles have limited wing dimensions and power unit, due to which they operate under a low Reynolds number (Re) range of 10 × 103 to 100 × 103. Within this Re range, conventional airfoils experience a significant decline in performance as the Re decreases below 100 × 103. Apart from this, the wing design of such vehicles relies majorly on the use of wings with an aspect ratio (AR) lower than 2.0. These wings face a significant challenge of producing lower lift values at low AoA due to the presence of strong wingtip vortices. In this context, the present study is focused on investigating the aerodynamic characteristics of wings with an AR ≤ 2.0, both in the presence and absence of bio-inspired passive flow control devices. The aim is to contribute to the advancement of MAV technology.