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Aerodynamic flow vectoring of a wake using asymmetric synthetic jet actuation

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Abstract

This paper reports an experimental investigation on the wake of a blunt-based, flat plate subjected to aerodynamic flow vectoring using asymmetric synthetic jet actuation. Wake vectoring was achieved using a synthetic jet placed at the model base 2.5 mm from the upper corner. The wake Reynolds number based on the plate thickness was 7,200. The synthetic jet actuation frequency was selected to be about 75 % the vortex shedding frequency of the natural wake. At this actuation frequency, the synthetic jet delivered a periodic flow with a momentum coefficient, C μ, of up to 62 %. Simultaneous measurements of the streamwise and transverse components of the velocity were performed using particle image velocimetry (PIV) in the near wake. The results suggested that for significant wake vectoring, vortex shedding must be suppressed first. Under the flow conditions cited above, C μ values in the range of 10–20 % were required. The wake vectoring angle seemed to asymptote to a constant value of about 30° at downstream distances, x/h, larger than 4 for C μ values ranging between 24 and 64 %. The phase-averaged vorticity contours and the phase-averaged normal lift force showed that most of the wake vectoring is produced during the suction phase of the actuation, while the blowing phase was mostly responsible for vortex shedding suppression.

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Abbreviations

b :

Wake width (mm)

c :

Model chord (mm)

h :

Model thickness (mm)

H :

Boundary layer shape factor

l b :

Recirculation streamwise length (mm)

w :

Model span (mm)

e :

Slot width (mm)

x, y, z :

Cartesian coordinate system

U ∞ :

Inflow free stream velocity (m/s)

U e :

Mean streamwise velocity in the inviscid region (m/s)

U d :

Normalized mean value of streamwise velocity (m/s)

u :

Fluctuating component of streamwise velocity (m/s)

v :

Fluctuating component of transverse velocity (m/s)

Re h :

Reynolds number (U ∞ h/ν)

St:

Strouhal number, f h/U ∞

\( {\text{I}} = \frac{{\sqrt {u^{2} } }}{{U_{\infty } }} \) :

Turbulence intensity

\( \frac{{\overline{uu} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) \( \frac{{\overline{{\tilde{u}\tilde{u}}} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) \( \frac{{\overline{{u^{\prime \prime } u^{\prime \prime } }} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) :

Total, coherent and random streamwise normal Reynolds stress

\( \frac{{\overline{vv} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) \( \frac{{\overline{{\tilde{v}\tilde{v}}} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) \( \frac{{\overline{{v^{\prime \prime } v^{\prime \prime } }} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) :

Total, coherent and random transverse normal Reynolds stress

\( \frac{{\overline{uv} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) \( \frac{{\overline{{\tilde{u}\tilde{v}}} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) \( \frac{{\overline{{u^{\prime \prime } v^{\prime \prime } }} }}{{U_{\infty }^{2} }} \) :

Total, coherent and random Reynolds shear stress

u (A,max) :

Maximum actuation velocity at slot exit (m/s)

U A :

Actuation velocity scale (m/s)

f A :

Actuation frequency (Hz)

C µ :

Synthetic jet momentum coefficient

C N :

Normal force coefficient

C D :

Drag coefficient

C L :

Lift coefficient

F l :

Normal force per unit span

θ:

Momentum thickness (mm)

α:

Vectoring angle

δ*:

Displacement thickness (mm)

Γ:

Circulation

Ω z :

Time-averaged spanwise vorticity

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Acknowledgments

The first author was partly financially supported by the Rhône-Alpes program (CMIRA, France, 2010–2011) and partly by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LESTE, ENIM, University of Monastir, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia

    Maher Ben Chiekh

  2. Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada

    Mohsen Ferchichi

  3. University of Lyon 1, U1032, Lyon, France

    Jean-Christophe Béra

Authors
  1. Maher Ben Chiekh
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  2. Mohsen Ferchichi
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  3. Jean-Christophe Béra
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Correspondence to Maher Ben Chiekh.

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Ben Chiekh, M., Ferchichi, M. & Béra, JC. Aerodynamic flow vectoring of a wake using asymmetric synthetic jet actuation. Exp Fluids 53, 1797–1813 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-012-1396-z

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