A visualization study of the interaction of a free vortex with the wake behind an airfoil

The two-dimensional interaction of a single vortex with a thin symmetrical airfoil and its vortex wake has been investigated in a low turbulence wind tunnel having velocity of about 2 m/s in the measuring section. The flow Reynolds number based on the airfoil chord length was 4.5 × 10³. The investigation was carried out using a smoke-wire visualization technique with some support of standard hot-wire measurements. The experiment has proved that under certain conditions the vortex-airfoil-wake interaction leads to the formation of new vortices from the part of the wake positioned closely to the vortex. After the formation, the vortices rotate in the direction opposite to that of the incident vortex.List of symbols c test airfoil chord - C vortex generator airfoil chord - TA test airfoil - TE test airfoil trailing edge - TE_G vortex generator airfoil trailing edge - t dimensionless time-interval measured from the vortex passage by the test airfoil trailing edge: gDt=(T-T-_TE)·U/c - T time-interval measured from the start of VGA rotation - U free stream velocity - U vortex induced velocity fluctuation - VGA vortex generator airfoil - y distance in which the vortex passes the test airfoil - Z vortex circulation coefficient: Z=/(U · c/2) - vortex generator airfoil inclination angle - vortex circulation - vortex strength: =/2