Unsteady flow structure and vorticity convection over the airfoil oscillating at high reduced frequency

Unsteady vortex structures and vorticity convection over the airfoil (NACA 0012), oscillating in the uniform inflow, are studied by flow visualization and velocity measurements. The airfoil, pivoting at one-third of the chord, oscillates periodically near the static stalling angle of attack (AOA) at high reduced-frequency. The phase-triggering and modified phase-averaged techniques are employed to reconstruct the pseudo instantaneous velocity field over the airfoil. During the down stroke cycle, the leading-edge separation vortex is growing and the vortex near the trailing edge begins to shed into the wake. During the upstroke cycle, the leading-edge separation vortex is matured and moves downstream, and the counter clockwise vortex is forming near the trailing edge. Convection speeds and wavelength of the unsteady vortex structure over the airfoil equal to that of the counter clockwise vortex shed into the wake. This kind of vortex structure is termed as “synchronized shedding” type. The wavelength of unsteady vortex structure over the airfoil is significantly different from that at low reduced-frequency. Consistent convection speeds of the leading-edge separation vortex are acquired from the spatial-temporal variations of local circulation and local surface vorticity generation, and equals that predicted from flow visualization. Spatial-temporal variations of the local surface vorticity generation clearly reveal the formation and passage of the leading-edge separation vortex only in the region where the flow does not separate completely from the surface. Significant amounts of the surface vorticity are generated within the leading-edge region of the airfoil during the upstroke cycle. Only negligible amount of surface vorticity is produced within the region of complete flow separation. During the down stroke cycle, the surface vorticity generation is mild along the airfoil surface, except the leading-edge region where a small scale leading-edge separation vortex is forming and growing.     

定常吹气对倾转旋翼机向下载荷的影响

为进一步提高倾转旋翼机悬停状态下的有效载重,开展了定常吹气流动控制对向下载荷的影响研究。首先应用延迟脱体涡模拟(DDES)方法对翼型-90°迎角下非定常大范围分离流动结构进行了数值分析;然后分别开展了前缘吹气、后缘吹气降载措施研究,揭示了吹气降载的机理,并对不同吹气口位置和吹气动量系数的影响进行了定量分析,最后开展了前、后缘同时吹气作用下降载数值模拟研究。计算结果表明:前缘最佳吹气位置在翼型的前缘点,而后缘吹气最佳位置位于襟翼弦长的15%处;前缘吹气的降载效果要优于后缘吹气,而且吹气动量系数对向下载荷的影响较小;相对于初始未施加流动控制构型,阻力系数减小量可达到32.72%。     

Parameter dependence of vortex interactions on a two-dimensional plunging plate

The structure and dynamics of the flow field created by a plunging flat-plate airfoil are investigated at a chord Reynolds number of 10,000 while varying plunge amplitude and Strouhal number. Digital particle image velocimetry measurements are used to characterize the shedding patterns and the interactions between the leading- and trailing-edge vortex structures (LEV and TEV), resulting in the development of a wake classification system based on the nature and timing of interactions between the leading- and trailing-edge vortices. The streamwise advancement of the LEV during a plunge cycle and its resulting interaction with the TEV is primarily dependent on reduced frequency; however, for Strouhal numbers above approximately 0.4, significant changes are observed in the formation of vortices shed from the leading and trailing edges, as well as the circulation of the leading-edge vortex. The functional form of the relationship between leading-edge vortex circulation and Strouhal number suggests that the Strouhal number dependence is more specifically a manifestation of the effective angle of attack. Comparison with low-Reynolds-number studies of plunging airfoil aerodynamics reveals a high degree of consistency and suggests applicability of the classification system beyond the range examined in the present work.     

二维扩压叶栅非定常分离流控制途径探索

二维扩压叶栅非定常黏性数值模拟结果表明,在一定攻角范围内,叶片前缘点附近的周期性吹吸气激励能有效控制混乱的非定常分离流．详细研究了非定常激励频率、幅值、位置对流场的影响．满足一定条件的非定常激励能够使流动由无序变为有序,时均气动性能提高。     

A parametric study of LES on laminar-turbulent transitional flows past an airfoil

Low-Reynolds-number aerodynamic performance of small-sized air vehicles is an area of increasing interest. In this study, low-Reynolds-number flows past an SD7003 airfoil are investigated to understand important viscous features of laminar separation and transitional flow followed by the complicated behavior of the flow reattachment process. In order to satisfy the three-dimensional (3D) requirement of the code, a simple “3D wing” is constructed from a two-dimensional (2D) airfoil. A parametric study of large eddy simulation (LES) on the airfoil flows at Re = 60,000 is performed. Effects of grid resolution and sub-grid scale (SGS) models are investigated. Although 3D effects cannot be accurately captured owing to the limitation of the grid resolution in the spanwise direction, the preliminary LES calculations do reveal some important flow characteristics such as leading-edge laminar separation and vortex shedding from the primary laminar separation bubble on the low-Reynolds-number airfoil.     

Limit-cycle oscillations in unsteady flows dominated by intermittent leading-edge vortex shedding

High-frequency limit-cycle oscillations of an airfoil at low Reynolds number are studied numerically. This regime is characterized by large apparent-mass effects and intermittent shedding of leading-edge vortices. Under these conditions, leading-edge vortex shedding has been shown to result in favorable consequences such as high lift and efficiencies in propulsion/power extraction, thus motivating this study. The aerodynamic model used in the aeroelastic framework is a potential-flow-based discrete-vortex method, augmented with intermittent leading-edge vortex shedding based on a leading-edge suction parameter reaching a critical value. This model has been validated extensively in the regime under consideration and is computationally cheap in comparison with Navier–Stokes solvers. The structural model used has degrees of freedom in pitch and plunge, and allows for large amplitudes and cubic stiffening. The aeroelastic framework developed in this paper is employed to undertake parametric studies which evaluate the impact of different types of nonlinearity. Structural configurations with pitch-to-plunge frequency ratios close to unity are considered, where the flutter speeds are lowest (ideal for power generation) and reduced frequencies are highest. The range of reduced frequencies studied is two to three times higher than most airfoil studies, a virtually unexplored regime. Aerodynamic nonlinearity resulting from intermittent leading-edge vortex shedding always causes a supercritical Hopf bifurcation, where limit-cycle oscillations occur at freestream velocities greater than the linear flutter speed. The variations in amplitude and frequency of limit-cycle oscillations as functions of aerodynamic and structural parameters are presented through the parametric studies. The excellent accuracy/cost balance offered by the methodology presented in this paper suggests that it could be successfully employed to investigate optimum setups for power harvesting in the low-Reynolds-number regime.     

PIV EXPERIMENTS ON FLOWFIELD CHARACTERISTICS OF ROTOR AIRFOIL DYNAMIC STALL AND MODIFICATIONS OF L-B MODEL

为测量翼型动态失速的非定常涡流场特性,采用3D-PIV 技术,对典型直升机旋翼翼型SC1095 的动态失速流场特性进行测量,发现涡在不同位置处的输运速度不同：位于翼型表面的涡的无量纲速度为0.39,位于尾迹区的涡的无量纲速度为0.55. 利用前缘涡输运速度变化这一特征,改进了经典的翼型动态失速利什曼-贝多斯（Leishman-Beddoes,L-B）模型,将该模型中固定的涡时间常数修正为可以随涡位置变化的时变函数,修正后的模型计算得到翼型法向力峰值相对原L-B 模型提升5%,力矩系数负峰值相对原L-B 模型提升13%,与试验值相比更加吻合,表明修正后的翼型动态失速模型更好地体现了翼型前缘涡的物理特征.     

旋翼翼型动态失速流场特性PIV试验研究及L-B模型修正

为测量翼型动态失速的非定常涡流场特性,采用3D-PIV 技术,对典型直升机旋翼翼型SC1095 的动态失速流场特性进行测量,发现涡在不同位置处的输运速度不同:位于翼型表面的涡的无量纲速度为0.39,位于尾迹区的涡的无量纲速度为0.55. 利用前缘涡输运速度变化这一特征,改进了经典的翼型动态失速利什曼-贝多斯（Leishman-Beddoes,L-B）模型,将该模型中固定的涡时间常数修正为可以随涡位置变化的时变函数,修正后的模型计算得到翼型法向力峰值相对原L-B 模型提升5%,力矩系数负峰值相对原L-B 模型提升13%,与试验值相比更加吻合,表明修正后的翼型动态失速模型更好地体现了翼型前缘涡的物理特征.      

An unsteady airfoil theory applied to pitching motions validated against experiment and computation

An inviscid theoretical method that is applicable to non-periodic motions and that accounts for large amplitudes and non-planar wakes (large-angle unsteady thin airfoil theory) is developed. A pitch-up, hold, pitch-down motion for a flat plate at Reynolds number 10,000 is studied using this theoretical method and also using computational (immersed boundary method) and experimental (water tunnel) methods. Results from theory are compared against those from computation and experiment which are also compared with each other. The variation of circulatory and apparent-mass loads as a function of pivot location for this motion is examined. The flow phenomena leading up to leading-edge vortex shedding and the limit of validity of the inviscid theory in the face of vortex-dominated flows are investigated. Also, the effect of pitch amplitude on leading-edge vortex shedding is examined, and two distinctly different vortex-dominated flows are studied using dye flow visualizations from experiment and vorticity plots from computation.     

The influence of airfoil kinematics on the formation of leading-edge vortices in bio-inspired flight

The formation process of leading-edge vortices has been investigated experimentally using Particle Image Velocimetry. Various airfoil kinematics have been tested, including asymmetric and peak-shifted plunging motions, and are evaluated for Re = 30,000 and a reduced frequency range of 0.2 ≤ k ≤ 0.33. By measuring the growth in the leading-edge vortex during the dynamic-stall process, the vortex pinch-off process is examined based on the concept of an optimal vortex formation time. The various kinematics are then evaluated with respect to their associated vortex strength, timing and convection into the wake.     

Particle image velocimetry investigation of flow over unsteady airfoil with trailing-edge strip

The flow over a flapped NACA 0012 airfoil, oscillated slightly through the static-stall angle, was investigated by using particle image velocimetry, and was supplemented by surface pressure and dynamic-load measurements. A significant increase in the dynamic lift force and nose-down pitching moment was observed. The most pronounced flow phenomenon was the formation and detachment of an energetic leading-edge vortex compared to the no-flapped airfoil. The details of the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the various light-stall flow processes were provided via the instantaneous velocity and vorticity fields measurements. In contrast to the Gurney flap, the inverted trailing-edge strip led to an improved negative damping while a reduced lift force. The addition of an inverted strip always led to the appearance of a Karman-type vortex shedding street immediately downstream of the strip over the entire oscillation cycle.     

Unsteady airfoil with a harmonically deflected trailing-edge flap

The effects of a harmonically deflected trailing-edge flap, actuated at different start times and amplitudes but with frequency different from the airfoil motion, on the aerodynamic loads of an oscillating NACA 0015 airfoil were investigated experimentally at Re=2.51×10⁵. Both in-phase and 180° out-of-phase flap deflections, relative to the airfoil motion, were tested. The results show that there was a large change in the hysteretic behavior of the dynamic load loops, and that the formation and detachment of the leading-edge vortex (LEV) were not affected by the flap motion, while the low pressure signature of the vortex was affected by the flap actuation start time. The later the flap actuation the larger the change in the strength of the LEV. The present flap control scheme was also found to be as effective as that achieved by a pulsed ramp flap motion, but with a reduced number of control parameters.     

Leading-edge flow criticality as a governing factor in leading-edge vortex initiation in unsteady airfoil flows

A leading-edge suction parameter (LESP) that is derived from potential flow theory as a measure of suction at the airfoil leading edge is used to study initiation of leading-edge vortex (LEV) formation in this article. The LESP hypothesis is presented, which states that LEV formation in unsteady flows for specified airfoil shape and Reynolds number occurs at a critical constant value of LESP, regardless of motion kinematics. This hypothesis is tested and validated against a large set of data from CFD and experimental studies of flows with LEV formation. The hypothesis is seen to hold except in cases with slow-rate kinematics which evince significant trailing-edge separation (which refers here to separation leading to reversed flow on the aft portion of the upper surface), thereby establishing the envelope of validity. The implication is that the critical LESP value for an airfoil–Reynolds number combination may be calibrated using CFD or experiment for just one motion and then employed to predict LEV initiation for any other (fast-rate) motion. It is also shown that the LESP concept may be used in an inverse mode to generate motion kinematics that would either prevent LEV formation or trigger the same as per aerodynamic requirements.     

低Reynolds数NACA0012翼型绕流的流动特性分析

在水槽中应用PIV测速技术研究了NACA0012翼型在Reynolds数为8200时的流动特性,重点关注了翼型绕流结构中主频和扰动增长速率随迎角的变化。结果表明,分离剪切层的扰动增长符合指数规律;且随着迎角的增大,转捩过程加速,表现为扰动增长率逐渐增大,转捩的起始位置逐渐向上游移动。在所有实验迎角情况下,流场均由脱落旋涡主导,但其主导作用随着迎角的增大而削弱。     

偏转矢量喷流对双三角翼前缘涡破裂影响的实验研究

本文应用染色液流动显示技术对后缘偏转喷流情况下76°/40°双三角翼前缘涡破裂位置的变化进行了观测,实验结果表明偏转喷流主要推迟与喷流方向相同一侧前缘涡的破裂,而使另一侧前缘涡破裂略有提前.随着喷流偏转角度的增大,喷流使两前缘涡破裂位置差逐渐增大.另外,随着模型攻角的增大,前缘涡涡核与双三角翼翼面的夹角逐渐增大,导致偏转喷流的作用逐渐减弱.     

Direct numerical simulation of a NACA0012 in full stall

This work aims at investigating the mechanisms of separation and the transition to turbulence in the separated shear-layer of aerodynamic profiles, while at the same time to gain insight into coherent structures formed in the separated zone at low-to-moderate Reynolds numbers. To do this, direct numerical simulations of the flow past a NACA0012 airfoil at Reynolds numbers Re = 50,000 (based on the free-stream velocity and the airfoil chord) and angles of attack AOA = 9.25° and AOA = 12° have been carried out. At low-to-moderate Reynolds numbers, NACA0012 exhibits a combination of leading-edge/trailing-edge stall which causes the massive separation of the flow on the suction side of the airfoil. The initially laminar shear layer undergoes transition to turbulence and vortices formed are shed forming a von Kármán like vortex street in the airfoil wake. The main characteristics of this flow together with its main features, including power spectra of a set of selected monitoring probes at different positions on the suction side and in the wake of the airfoil are provided and discussed in detail.     

Using the perturbation method to solve the problem of separated incompressible flow past thin airfoils

A model for separated incompressible flow past thin airfoils in the neighborhood of the “shockless entrance” condition is constructed based on the averaging of the vortex shedding flow past the airfoil edges. By approximation of the vortex shedding by two vortex curves, determination of the average hydrodynamic parameters is reduced to a twofold solution of an integral singular equation equivalent to the equation describing steady-state nonseparated airfoil flow. In this case, the calculation time is two orders of magnitude smaller than the time required for the solution of the corresponding evolution problem. The results of a test calculation using the proposed method are in fair agreement with available results of calculations and experiments. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 49–63, May–June, 2006.     

Application of digital particle image velocimetry to insect aerodynamics: measurement of the leading-edge vortex and near wake of a Hawkmoth

Some insects use leading-edge vortices to generate high lift forces, as has been inferred from qualitative smoke visualisations of the flow around their wings. Here we present the first Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) data and quantitative analysis of an insect’s leading-edge vortex and near wake at two flight speeds. This allows us to describe objectively 2D slices through the flow field of a tethered Tobacco Hawkmoth (Manduca sexta). The near-field vortex wake appears to braodly resemble elliptical vortex loops. The presence of a leading-edge vortex towards the end of the downstroke is found to coincide with peak upward force production measured by a six-component force–moment balance. The topology of Manduca’s leading-edge vortex differs from that previously described because late in the downstroke, the structure extends continuously from wingtip across the thorax to the other wingtip.     

Viscous flow past an airfoil

Incompressible viscous flow past an airfoil at low Reynolds numbers is investigated on the basis of a numerical solution of the complete Navier-Stokes equations. Steady flow regimes, with and without separation, are obtained and, moreover, periodic regimes with the formation of a vortex trail in the wake. The frequency of vortex formation is determined by the linear dimension of the projection of the airfoil on the normal to the freestream velocity. The relation between the Strouhal and Reynolds numbers, determined from this linear dimension, depends only slightly on the angle of attack and shape of the airfoil and is similar to the experimental dependence for circular cylinders.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 29–36, July–August, 1986.In conclusion the authors wish to express their warm thanks to G. I. Petrov for his interest in their work and valuable discussion of their results, and to V. P. Shkadova for discussing the formulation of the problem and the method of solution and for her constant readiness to advise on the organization of the calculations.     

剪切流动中声、涡弱非线性作用与声控流动机理

对非均匀流（特别是平行剪切流）中声、涡运动模式的划分及其相互作用进行了弱非线性分析，着重研究了一阶声、涡作用产生二阶涡的情况，计算了二阶生成涡相对于一阶涡的时均放大倍数。从这一角度分析了声学控制流动问题，指出与声波发生作用的涡的性质以及涡频率与声频率之间的关系，并定性地讨论了声压阈值问题。