Investigation of coupled aerodynamic characteristics in channel wing propeller configuration

This work studies the lift enhancement effect with a channel wing propeller configuration. Numerical simulations and flow field analysis are performed to investigate the influence (the relative position and spacing, angles of attack (AoA), propeller speed, incoming flow speed) on the lift enhancement effect. The aerodynamic performance is numerically simulated by the method of multi-reference frame (MRF). Numerical results demonstrate that the propeller suction process has a very significant lifting effect. The lifting effect can reach 5 times contrast to the single channel wing. The propeller located at 100% of the chord length of the channel wing achieves the best lift enhancement effect. The intervention of the propeller delays the flow separation at the trailing edge of the channel wing. It holds a high lift coefficient at a high AoA. The lift line slope remains essentially unchanged in the range of 0–30°. It is roughly the same as that of the single channel wing configuration before stall. With the increase of propeller speed or incoming flow speed, the lift coefficient increases significantly. The lift line slope is approximately the same at different speeds. The regularity functions of different coefficient are obtained through mechanism analysis and least squares data fitting methods. The lift coefficient changes with the AoA in a linear relationship and with the propeller speed or incoming flow speed in a quadratic relationship.