On the Development of a Unified Theory for Vortex Flow Phenomena for Aeronautical Applications

The low-speed performance of a high span loading aircraft depends critically on the structure and stability of the vortex flow field created by the wing. Conventional formulation of lifting surface theory is not adequate to handle the low-aspect-ratio wing problem since the leading edge vortices add several complications. Specifically, the nonplanar nature of the vortex sheet may have to be considered explicitly, the leading-edge loading is altered, and vortex breakdown is a rotational phenomenon. Due to those additional difficulties, a study was made of the state of the art in vortex-wing interactions.