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Virginia Tech

Airfoil-vortex interaction and the wake of an oscillating airfoil

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Laser Doppler velocimetry, a non-intrusive flow measurement technique, was employed to experimentally investigate two-dimensional airfoil-vortex interaction. Vortices were generated by sinusoidally oscillating a NACA 0012 airfoil about its quarter-chord at a reduced frequency of k = 2.05 and an amplitude of ±10° angle of attack. The target airfoil, a NACA 63₂A015, was immersed in the wake, two chord lengths downstream of the vortex generators trailing edge. Phase-averaged velocity measurements of the flow around the target airfoil were made with the airfoil at angles of attack of α = 0° and α = 10°. A close encounter with a counterclockwise rotating vortex was observed for both angles of attack, and a head-on collision, which split the counterclockwise rotating vortex in two, was observed for α = 10°. Vorticity fields were constructed from the velocity measurements and the circulation of the vortex was evaluated throughout the interaction. The surface pressure fluctuations on the airfoil were determined by substituting the measured velocities into the Navier-Stokes equations and numerically integrating the resulting pressure gradients. Furthermore, an extensive investigation of the undisturbed wake of the oscillating airfoil was performed in order to determine the effect of oscillation frequency and amplitude on the wake development.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Engineering Mechanics
Department dc:contributor.department
Engineering Mechanics
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1992

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Wilder, Michael C.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Telionis, Demetrios P.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Hendricks, Scott L.
  • Mook, Dean T.
  • Morris, Don H.
  • Mason, William

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-10022007-144516
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39475

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Wilder, Michael C.. Airfoil-vortex interaction and the wake of an oscillating airfoil. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39475