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.