Oscillating cascade unsteady aerodynamics including separated flow effects

Abstract

A mathematical model is developed to predict the effect of flow separation on the unsteady aerodynamic lift and moment acting on a two-dimensional flat plate cascade which is harmonically oscillating in a subsonic flow field. The unsteady flow is considered to be a small perturbation to the uniform steady flow, with the steady flow assumed to separate at a specified fixed position on the airfoil suction surface. This formulation does not require the difference in the upwash velocity across the airfoil in the separated flow region to be determined before calculating the unsteady pressure difference across the chordline of the airfoils, thereby eliminating the assumption that the upwash difference is zero at the trailing edge when the steady flow is separated. Results obtained demonstrate that although flow separation decreases bending mode stability, it does not result in bending mode flutter. However, flow separation can result in torsion mode flutter, with this instability being a function of the location of both the separation point and the elastic axis.