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Visualising Airflow around a Sail with Experiments and Simulations

Visualising Airflow around a Sail with Experiments and Simulations The flow of air around a sail is very different to that of a wing, but both generate significant lift force. Ignazio Maria Viola at the University of Edinburgh studied sails in numerical simulations and experiments to discover the force comes from vortices that are produced at the edges of the sail. By controlling the strength and location of these vortices he hopes to be able to produce faster and more efficient sails in the future.

This video is part of a collaboration between FYFD and the Journal of Fluid Mechanics featuring a series of interviews with researchers from the APS DFD 2017 conference.

Sponsored by FYFD, the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, and the UK Fluids Network. Produced by Tom Crawford and Nicole Sharp with assistance from A.J. Fillo.

For more maths related fun check out Tom's website

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Featuring:
I. M. Viola et al. "The leading-edge vortex of yacht sails"


We experimentally show, for the first time, that a stable Leading-Edge Vortex (LEV) can be formed on an asymmetric spinnaker, which is a high-lift sail used by yachts to sail downwind. We tested a 3D printed rigid sail in a water flume at a chord-based Reynolds number of ca. 104. We found that on the leeward side of the sail (the suction side), the flow separates at the leading edge reattaching further downstream and forming a stable LEV. The LEV grows in diameter from the root to the tip of the sail, where it merges with the tip vortex. We detected the LEV using the 𝛾 criterion, and we verified its stability over time. The lift contribution provided by the LEV was computed solving a complex potential model of each sail section. This analysis indicated that the LEV provides a substantial contribution to the total sail's lift. These findings suggest that the maximum lift of low-aspect-ratio wings with a sharp leading edge, such as spinnakers, can be enhanced by promoting a stable LEV.

Publication (Ocean Engineering):

Special Thanks To:
Nicole Sharp
A. J. Fillo
Ignazio Maria Viola
Nautors Swan
Ralph Von Loeben
A. Boyko

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