Control of a blunt trailing edge profiled body using unsteady distributed forcing
University of Toronto
Abstract
Blunt trailing edges are often used to improve the structural characteristics of airfoils in high load situations and/or reduce wave drag on transonic wings. However, the wake generated behind blunt trailing edges can lead to higher-pressure drag, unsteady aerodynamic loading and higher noise emission. This presentation will discuss some of the dynamically important features of the blunt trailing edge wake behind a non-lifting body as a precursor for their control. Of particular importance will be the presence of three-dimensionality in the von Kármán vortex street generated in the wake – even when the geometry is nominally two-dimensional. This will be followed by the presentation of an active flow control methodology known as “distributed forcing,” which promotes three-dimensionality to achieve a large change in the blunt trailing edge wake with minimal energy input. Implementations of this flow control system using synthetic jets will be presented. Results from these experiments will highlight the change in the wake dynamics and reduction in pressure drag.
About the speaker
Dr. Philippe Lavoie is the Associate Director – Research at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS). He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario and his Ph.D. from the University of Newcastle, Australia. He co-founded the Centre for Research in Sustainable Aviation based at UTIAS, for which he has been Associate Director since 2012. His current research interests include turbulence, flow control, and experimental aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. His research is focused on studying flow structures and instabilities associated with transitional and turbulent flows as a precursor to their control. He has successfully developed and implemented active flow control systems experimentally for several different wall-bounded and separated shear flows. Dr. Lavoie is an Associate Editor for the AIAA Journal and Subject Editor in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering for FACETS, the official journal of the Royal Society of Canada’s Academy of Science.
