CFD Prediction of Aircraft Control Surfaces Aerodynamics

Abstract

The effectiveness of prototypical control surfaces for a modern regional transport commercial aircraft is examined by means of numerical simulations. The virtual experiments are performed in operational conditions by resolving the mean turbulent flow field around a suitable model of the whole aircraft. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes modelling approach is used, where the governing equations are solved with a finite volume-based numerical technique. The aerodynamic performance of the flight control surfaces, during an hypothetical conceptual design phase, is evaluated by conducting simulations at different deflections. The present computational modelling approach is verified to have good practical potential by making a comparison with reference industrial data.