RANS CFD is often used to compare different designs of yacht sails. While RANS may have an error of more than 10% in the predicted aerodynamic forces, it is thought by many that it will at least rank the relative performance of different designs. However, it is hard to see how a method can rank sail designs if it does not model the underlying physics. This project will test rigid upwind and downwind sails in the twisted flow wind tunnel, and see how well CFD predicts their relative performance.
Undergraduate
Verified CFD models of upwind and downwind yacht sails, and a check of their predictive ability. Wind tunnel testing to supplement incomplete validation data.
Good grades in Mecheng.325. Must be enrolled in Mecheng.712.
Aerodynamics Lab (Newmarket 901 Lvl5, Lab)