Limit Cycle Oscillations of a Delta Wing in a Low Speed Wind Tunnel

Limit cycle oscillations involving Delta wings are an important area of research in modern aeroelasticity. Such phenomena can be the result of structural or aerodynamic nonlinearity. In this paper, a flexible half-Delta wing is tested in a low speed wind tunnel in order to investigate its dynamic response. Specifically, an investigation to determine the effects of a steady angle of attack on nonlinear Limit Cycle Oscillations (LCO) of a delta wing-plate model in low subsonic flow has been undertaken. It was found that, at several combinations of airspeed and angle of attack, the wing undergoes limit cycle oscillations. Two types of such oscillations are observed. One of them is low amplitude, low complexity limit cycle oscillations that occur at lower airspeeds; the other is high amplitude, high complexity limit cycle oscillations that occur a higher airspeeds and can appear abruptly. Some of the LCOs are the result of a subcritical Hopf-bifurcation occurring at low steady angles of attack. At higher angles, a nontypical bifurcation was observed, whereby LCOs appear, grow with airspeed but then diminish and finally disappear as the airspeed is increased further.