The performance and cavitation characteristics of marine propellers and hydrofoils are strongly affected by tip vortex behavior. A number of previous computational studies have been done on tip vortices, both in aerodynamic and marine applications. The focus, however, has primarily been on validating methods for prediction and advancing the understanding of tip-vortex formation in general, rather than showing effects of tip modifications on tip vortices. Studies of the most relevance to the current work include computational studies by Dacles-Mariani et al. (1995) and Hsiao and Pauley (1998, 1999). Daeles-Mariani et al. carried out interactively a computational and experimental study of the wingtip vortex in the near field using a full Navier-Stokes simulation, accompanied with the Baldwin-Barth turbulence model. Although they showed improvement over numerical results obtained by previous researchers, the tip vortex strength was underpredicted. Hsiao and Pauley (1998) studied the steady-state tip vortex flow over a finite-span hydrofoil, also using the Baldwin-Barth turbulence model. They were able to achieve good agreement in pressure distribution and oil flow pattern with experimental data and accurately predict vertical and axial velocities of the tip vortex core within the near-field region. Far downstream, however, the computed flow field was overly diffused within the tip vortex core. Hsiao and Pauley (1999) also carried out a computational study of the tip vortex flow generated by a marine propeller. The general characteristics of the flow were well predicted but the vortex core was again overly diffused.
Experimental investigation of wing tip vortices in the near-field