The stationary leading-edge vortex over a high aspect ratio wing

A Stationary leading-edge vortex (LEV) is one of the primary mechanisms to achieve high lift forces on wings. Several analytical attempts were made to investigate the formation of stationary LEVs over high AR wings, using simplified two-dimensional models. However, these models did not provide sufficient means to fully understand the physical mechanisms of the phenomenon, nor they can account for its three-dimensional nature. We present a pseudo-three-dimensional flow model which characterize the flow mechanisms of the phenomenon by satisfying conservation of mass and vorticity within the LEV and using a combination of the strip theory and the lifting-line theory. The model, which is solved for several elliptical wing configurations, confirms the wing geometry to have a major role in determining the characteristics of the LEV. This can result in significant lift enhancement of over 60%.