The effects of oscillatory blowing as a means of delaying separation are discussed. Experiments were carried out on a hollow, flapped NACA 0015 airfoil equipped with a two-dimensional slot over the hinge of the flap. The flap extended over 25% of the chord and was deflected at angles as high as 40 deg. The steady blowing momentum coefficients could be varied independently of the amplitudes and frequencies of the superimposed oscillations. The modulated blowing was a major factor in improving the performance of the airfoil at much lower energy inputs than was hitherto known. Optimum benefits in performance were obtained at reduced frequencies, based on the flap chord, of an order of unity. Significant increase in lift as well as cancellation of form drag were observed. The increase in Reynolds number did not have an adverse effect on the data.
Effective aerodynamics at Reynolds numbers lower than 10 000 is of great technological interest and a fundamental scientific challenge. The current study covers a Reynolds number range of 2000–8000. At these Reynolds numbers, natural insect flight could provide inspiration for technology development. Insect wings are commonly characterized by corrugated airfoils. In particular, the airfoil of the dragonfly, which is able to glide, can be used for two-dimensional aerodynamic study of fixed rigid wings. In this study, a simplified dragonfly airfoil is numerically analyzed in a steady free-stream flow. The aerodynamic performance (such as mean and fluctuating lift and drag), are first compared to a “traditional” low Reynolds number airfoil: the Eppler-E61. The numerical results demonstrate superior performances of the corrugated airfoil. A series of low-speed wind and water tunnel experiments were performed on the corrugated airfoil, to validate the numerical results. The findings indicate quantitative agreement with the mean wake velocity profiles and shedding frequencies while validating the two dimensionality of the flow. A flow physics numerical study was performed in order to understand the underlying mechanism of corrugated airfoils at these Reynolds numbers. Airfoil shapes based on the flow field characteristics of the corrugated airfoil were built and analyzed. Their performances were compared to those of the corrugated airfoil, stressing the advantages of the latter. It was found that the flow which separates from the corrugations and forms spanwise vortices intermittently reattaches to the aft-upper arc region of the airfoil. This mechanism is responsible for the relatively low intensity of the vortices in the airfoil wake, reducing the drag and increasing the flight performances of this kind of corrugated airfoil as compared to traditional low Reynolds number airfoils such as the Eppler E-61.
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