Abstract

This study examines Wing Tip Vortex flows, in the Near to Far Field. A Viscous Incompressible simulation of the NACA 0012 (with an aspect ratio of 6, operating at a free stream Reynolds number of 6.84 e 5) was made. The Tip vortex parameters are compared with available, current, experimental data. Once the validity of the model is assessed, the fluid structures and dynamical processes are described, with the aid of solution visualizations. Characteristics of the flow that have not been studied in open literature are presented. An analysis is conducted regarding the dependence of the Tip Vortex characteristics and their variation with Angle of Attack. Aspects of the, low wing loading, analysis of Moore and Saffman are summarized and assumed to apply in the Far Field Regime. Then, dimensional analysis is used to present reasonable arguments for the scaling of the observed Near Field data. A balance of these two scaling laws is made and is shown to apply in what will be called the Intermediate Field Regime, where dependence with various vortex characteristics display a logarithmic variation with Angle of Attack