Multi-element high lift devices are used in aircraft wings to have higher lift at low speed during take-off and landing. 30P30N is a three-element airfoil developed by NASA/McDonnell Douglas for which high quality flow field data is available. As a result, it has been a subject of many Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in the literature. In this research, CFD simulations are performed using commercial CFD solver ANSYS Fluent. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in conjunction with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. Mesh generation is accomplished by ICEM in ANSYS. First the CFD solution is validated against the experimental data. The validated code is then used to determine the relationship between the flap deflection angle and the lift coefficient for the 30P30N airfoil both in unbounded flow and in ground effect for various flight heights. The airfoil flow field is then subjected to Active Flow Control (AFC) by injecting a uniform jet or by including a synthetic jet near the leading edge of the flap to change the momentum in the boundary layer on the flap. The goal is to enhance lift by reducing separation on the flap at higher flap angles. The results show that in unbounded flow, the flow on the flap separates when the flap deflection angle is greater xii than 45 degrees, and in ground effect the flow separates when the flap deflection angle is greater than 40 degrees. After AFC is employed, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply using both flow control methods compared to the lift coefficient without flow control in unbounded flow as well as in ground effect. The stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees for both the uniform blowing control and the synthetic jet control. In unbounded flow, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply by synthetic jet flow control and the stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees; however for the uniform blowing control, the effect on lift enhancement is relatively smaller.
","abstract_html":"<p>Multi-element high lift devices are used in aircraft wings to have higher lift at low speed during take-off and landing. 30P30N is a three-element airfoil developed by NASA/McDonnell Douglas for which high quality flow field data is available. As a result, it has been a subject of many Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in the literature. In this research, CFD simulations are performed using commercial CFD solver ANSYS Fluent. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in conjunction with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. Mesh generation is accomplished by ICEM in ANSYS. First the CFD solution is validated against the experimental data. The validated code is then used to determine the relationship between the flap deflection angle and the lift coefficient for the 30P30N airfoil both in unbounded flow and in ground effect for various flight heights. The airfoil flow field is then subjected to Active Flow Control (AFC) by injecting a uniform jet or by including a synthetic jet near the leading edge of the flap to change the momentum in the boundary layer on the flap. The goal is to enhance lift by reducing separation on the flap at higher flap angles. The results show that in unbounded flow, the flow on the flap separates when the flap deflection angle is greater xii than 45 degrees, and in ground effect the flow separates when the flap deflection angle is greater than 40 degrees. After AFC is employed, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply using both flow control methods compared to the lift coefficient without flow control in unbounded flow as well as in ground effect. The stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees for both the uniform blowing control and the synthetic jet control. In unbounded flow, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply by synthetic jet flow control and the stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees; however for the uniform blowing control, the effect on lift enhancement is relatively smaller.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Tang, Gongyu"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Ramesh Agarwal","Ramesh Agarwal David Peters Swami Karunamoorthy"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-05-19T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-05-19T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:13:23Z","subjects":["Multi-element Airfoil","30P30N Airfoil","Active Flow Control","Ground Effect","Uniform Velocity Jet","Synthetic Jet","Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics","Aerospace Engineering","Engineering","Mechanical Engineering"],"languages":["English (en)"],"rights":["I have not registered my thesis with the U.S. Copyright Office, and do not intend to."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/eng_etds/256"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/eng_etds/256","href":"https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/eng_etds/256","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.7936/K79C6WTM","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Ramesh Agarwal","Ramesh Agarwal David Peters Swami Karunamoorthy"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Tang, Gongyu"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2045-01-08T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science","McKelvey School of Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Multi-element Airfoil","30P30N Airfoil","Active Flow Control","Ground Effect","Uniform Velocity Jet","Synthetic Jet","Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics","Aerospace Engineering","Engineering","Mechanical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English (en)"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["I have not registered my thesis with the U.S. Copyright Office, and do not intend to."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.7936/K79C6WTM","https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/eng_etds/256"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K79C6WTM"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Multi-element high lift devices are used in aircraft wings to have higher lift at low speed during take-off and landing. 30P30N is a three-element airfoil developed by NASA/McDonnell Douglas for which high quality flow field data is available. As a result, it has been a subject of many Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in the literature. In this research, CFD simulations are performed using commercial CFD solver ANSYS Fluent. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in conjunction with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. Mesh generation is accomplished by ICEM in ANSYS. First the CFD solution is validated against the experimental data. The validated code is then used to determine the relationship between the flap deflection angle and the lift coefficient for the 30P30N airfoil both in unbounded flow and in ground effect for various flight heights. The airfoil flow field is then subjected to Active Flow Control (AFC) by injecting a uniform jet or by including a synthetic jet near the leading edge of the flap to change the momentum in the boundary layer on the flap. The goal is to enhance lift by reducing separation on the flap at higher flap angles. The results show that in unbounded flow, the flow on the flap separates when the flap deflection angle is greater xii than 45 degrees, and in ground effect the flow separates when the flap deflection angle is greater than 40 degrees. After AFC is employed, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply using both flow control methods compared to the lift coefficient without flow control in unbounded flow as well as in ground effect. The stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees for both the uniform blowing control and the synthetic jet control. In unbounded flow, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply by synthetic jet flow control and the stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees; however for the uniform blowing control, the effect on lift enhancement is relatively smaller.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Active Flow Control of a Three-Element Airfoil in Unbounded Flow and in Ground Effect"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Ramesh Agarwal","Ramesh Agarwal David Peters Swami Karunamoorthy"],"dc:creator":["Tang, Gongyu"],"dc:date.available":["2045-01-08T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K79C6WTM"],"dc:description.abstract":["Multi-element high lift devices are used in aircraft wings to have higher lift at low speed during take-off and landing. 30P30N is a three-element airfoil developed by NASA/McDonnell Douglas for which high quality flow field data is available. As a result, it has been a subject of many Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in the literature. In this research, CFD simulations are performed using commercial CFD solver ANSYS Fluent. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in conjunction with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. Mesh generation is accomplished by ICEM in ANSYS. First the CFD solution is validated against the experimental data. The validated code is then used to determine the relationship between the flap deflection angle and the lift coefficient for the 30P30N airfoil both in unbounded flow and in ground effect for various flight heights. The airfoil flow field is then subjected to Active Flow Control (AFC) by injecting a uniform jet or by including a synthetic jet near the leading edge of the flap to change the momentum in the boundary layer on the flap. The goal is to enhance lift by reducing separation on the flap at higher flap angles. The results show that in unbounded flow, the flow on the flap separates when the flap deflection angle is greater xii than 45 degrees, and in ground effect the flow separates when the flap deflection angle is greater than 40 degrees. After AFC is employed, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply using both flow control methods compared to the lift coefficient without flow control in unbounded flow as well as in ground effect. The stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees for both the uniform blowing control and the synthetic jet control. In unbounded flow, the lift coefficient is enhanced sharply by synthetic jet flow control and the stall flap deflection angle increases to 50 degrees; however for the uniform blowing control, the effect on lift enhancement is relatively smaller.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.7936/K79C6WTM","https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/eng_etds/256"],"dc:language":["English (en)"],"dc:rights":["I have not registered my thesis with the U.S. Copyright Office, and do not intend to."],"dc:subject":["Multi-element Airfoil","30P30N Airfoil","Active Flow Control","Ground Effect","Uniform Velocity Jet","Synthetic Jet","Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics","Aerospace Engineering","Engineering","Mechanical Engineering"],"dc:title":["Active Flow Control of a Three-Element Airfoil in Unbounded Flow and in Ground Effect"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science","McKelvey School of Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:13:23Z"}