Aerodynamics with state-of-the-art bioinspired technology: Tubercles of humpback whale

2021 ◽  
pp. 095441002110015
Author(s):  
VT Gopinathan ◽  
J Bruce Ralphin Rose
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Humpback Whale ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Passive Flow Control

Bioinspired aerodynamics is an emerging subject in the design of advanced flight vehicles with superior performance and minimum fuel consumption. In the present review article, a comprehensive evaluation is focused on previous studies and investigations toward the performance enhancement of aerodynamic surfaces with leading-edge (LE) tubercles. The implementation of tubercles has been biologically imitated from humpback whale (HW) flippers. Particularly, aerodynamicists are much interested in this bioinspired technology because of the exclusive maneuvering and flow control potential of HW flippers. LE protuberances are considered as a passive flow control method to improve the aerodynamic performance in various applications like aviation, marine, and wind energy. The aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance variations caused by specific tubercles amplitude and wavelength are also compared through numerical and wind tunnel testing. The prospective utilization of tubercles on boundary layer flow control is measured with regard to conventional and swept-back wing designs. Flow control mechanisms of tubercles are outlined with several interesting facts in addition to the outcomes of various bioinspired aerodynamic investigations in the recent years.

Comparison of Two Active Flow Control Mechanisms of Pure Blowing and Pure Suction on a Pitching NACA0012 Airfoil at Reynolds Number of 1 × 106

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehsan Asgari ◽  
Mehran Tadjfar
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Flow Control ◽  
Active Flow Control ◽  
Hysteresis Loops ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Airfoil Surface ◽  
Naca0012 Airfoil ◽  
Maximum Angle ◽  
Active Flow

In this study, we have applied and compared two active flow control (AFC) mechanisms on a pitching NACA0012 airfoil at Reynolds number of 1 × 106 using 2-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD). These mechanisms are continuous blowing and suction which are applied separately on the airfoil which pitches around its quarter-chord in a sinusoidal motion. The location for suction and blowing was determined in our previous study based on the formation of a counter clock-wise vortex near the leading-edge. In our current study, we have compared the effectiveness of pure blowing and pure suction in suppressing the dynamic stall vortex (DSV) which is the main contributor to the drag increase, particularly near the maximum angle of attack (AOA) and in early downstroke motion. The blowing/suction slot is considered as a dent on the airfoil surface which enables the AFC to perform in a tangential manner. This configuration would allow blowing jet to penetrate further downstream and was shown to be more effective compared to a cross-flow orientation. We have compared the two aforementioned mechanisms in terms of hysteresis loops of lift and drag coefficients and have demonstrated the dynamics of flow in controlled and uncontrolled situations.

A Numerical Study Into the Influence of Leading Edge Tubercles on the Aerodynamic Performance of a Highly Cambered High Lift Airfoil Wing at Different Reynolds Numbers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amr Abdelrahman ◽  
Amr Emam ◽  
Ihab Adam ◽  
Hamdy Hassan ◽  
Shinichi Ookawara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Method ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Suction Side ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Passive Flow Control ◽  
Passive Flow ◽  
Stall Angle ◽  
Lifting Surfaces ◽  
Lift And Drag

Abstract Through the last two decades, many studies have demonstrated the ability of leading-edge protrusions (tubercles), inspired from the pectoral flippers of the humpback whale, to be an effective passive flow control method for the stall phase of an airfoil in some cases depending on the geometrical features and the flow regime. Nevertheless, there is a little work associated with revealing tubercles performance for the lifting surfaces with a highly cambered cross-section, used in numerous applications. The present work aims to investigate the effect of implementing leading edge tubercles on the performance of an infinite span rectangular wing with the highly cambered S1223 foil at different flow regimes. Two sets; baseline one and a modified with tubercles have been studied at Re = 0.1 × 106, 0.3 × 106 and 1.5 × 106 using computational fluid dynamics with a validated model. The numerical results demonstrated that Tubercles have the ability to entirely alter the flow structure over the airfoil, confining the separation to troughs, hence, softening the stall characteristics. However, the tubercle modification expedites the presence of the stalled flow over the suction side, lowering the stall angle for the three mentioned Reynolds numbers. While, no considerable difference occurs in lift and drag before the stall.

Passive control of deep cavity shear layer flow at subsonic speed

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (10) ◽  
pp. 894-899
Author(s):  
Mouhammad El Hassan ◽  
Laurent Keirsbulck
Keyword(s):  
Shear Layer ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Layer Growth ◽  
Cavity Resonance ◽  
Passive Flow Control ◽  
Acoustic Coupling ◽  
Deep Cavity ◽  
Layer Flow

Passive control of the flow over a deep cavity at low subsonic velocity is considered in the present paper. The cavity length-to-depth aspect ratio is L/H = 0.2. particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements characterized the flow over the cavity and show the influence of the control method on the cavity shear layer development. It is found that both the “cylinder” and the “shaped cylinder”, placed upstream from the cavity leading edge, result in the suppression of the aero-acoustic coupling and highly reduce the cavity noise. It should be noted that the vortical structures impinge at almost the same location near the cavity downstream corner with and without passive control. The present study allows to identify an innovative passive flow control method of cavity resonance. Indeed, the use of a “shaped cylinder” presents similar suppression of the cavity resonance as with the “cylinder” but with less impact on the cavity flow. The “shaped cylinder” results in a smaller shear layer growth than the cylinder. Velocity deficiency and turbulence levels are less pronounced using the “shaped cylinder”. The “cylinder” tends to diffuse the vorticity in the cavity shear layer and thus the location of the maximum vorticity is more affected as compared to the “shaped cylinder” control. The fact that the “shaped cylinder” is capable of suppressing the cavity resonance, despite the vortex shedding and the high frequency forcing being suppressed, is of high interest from fundamental and applied points of view.

scholarly journals Experimental Investigation and Passive Flow Control of a Cavitating Centrifugal Pump

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyridon D. Kyparissis ◽  
Dionissios P. Margaris
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Centrifugal Pump ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Total Efficiency ◽  
Centrifugal Pumps ◽  
Pump Performance ◽  
Passive Flow Control ◽  
Passive Flow ◽  
Pump Test ◽  
Blade Leading Edge

Passive flow control techniques are used to improve the flow field and efficiency of centrifugal pumps and turbomachines, in general. An important phenomenon that mechanical engineers have to take into account is cavitation. It leads to the decrease of the pump performance and total head. In the present experimental study, a centrifugal pump is investigated in cavitating conditions. A passive flow control is realized using three different blade leading edge angles in order to reduce the cavitation development and enhance the pump performance. The experiments are carried out in a pump test rig specially designed and constructed, along with the impellers. The head drop and total efficiency curves are presented in order to examine the effect of the blade leading edge angle on the cavitation and pump performance. Finally, the vapour distribution along with the blades is illustrated for the tested blade leading edge angles.

scholarly journals Numerical study on the steady suction active flow control of hydrofoil in the profile of the blended-wing-body underwater glider

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 801-809
Author(s):  
Xiaoxu Du ◽  
Lianying Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Active Flow Control ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
Flow State ◽  
Underwater Glider ◽  
Blended Wing Body ◽  
Active Flow

The hydrodynamic performance of the blended-wing-body underwater glider can be improved by opening a hole on the surface and applying the steady suction active flow control. In order to explore the influence law and mechanism of the steady suction active flow control on the lift and drag performance of the hydrofoil, which is the profile of the blended-wing-body underwater glider, based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and SST k-ω turbulence model, the steady suction active flow control of hydrofoil under different conditions is studied, which include three suction factors: suction angle, suction position and suction ratio, as well as three different flow states: no stall, critical stall and over stall. Then the influence mechanism in over stall flow state is further analyzed. The results show that the flow separation state of NACA0015 hydrofoil can be effectively restrained and the flow field distribution around it can be improved by a reasonable steady suction, so as to the lift-drag performance of NACA0015 hydrofoil is improved. The effect of increasing lift and reducing drag of steady suction is best at 90° suction angle and symmetrical about 90° suction angle, and it is better when the steady suction position is closer to the leading edge of the hydrofoil. In addition, with the increase of the suction ratio, the influence of steady suction on the lift coefficient and drag coefficient of hydrofoil is greater.

scholarly journals Research on the forward flight performance of rotor based on variable-droop leading edge

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 668-674
Author(s):  
Congcong Li ◽  
Yongjie SHI ◽  
Guohua Xu ◽  
Xingliang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Integral Form ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Control Effect ◽  
Forward Flight ◽  
Force Coefficient

Aiming at the dynamic stall phenomenon of the retreating side of the rotor in forward flight, the existing flow control method of dynamic leading edge droop was applied to the flow control of forward-flying rotor at three-dimensional scale. A numerical simulation method based on variable droop leading edge is established in this paper. The seesaw rotor is taken as the research object, the moving overset mesh method and RBF grid deformation technology are used, the integral form of Reynolds average N-S equation is the main control equation. The influence of the dynamic leading edge at r/R=0.75~1 on the aerodynamic characteristics of the rotor when the forward ratio is 0.3 is investigated. It is found that variable droop leading edge on the retreating side can effectively inhibit the generation and development of separation vortices near the trailing edge, and has a significant effect on lifting lift coefficient and section normal force coefficient, reducing torque coefficient, and thus improving the equivalent lift-drag ratio of the rotor. In a certain range, the control effect is better with the increase of the droop amplitude under the leading edge.

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