Abstract
This study evaluates the influence of a serrated leading edge on flat-plate aerodynamics at low-Reynolds-number and subsonic high-Mach-number conditions. Forces are measured for a Mach number ranging from 0.2 to 0.64 at a Reynolds number of (12,000 ± 1000). Pressure distributions are obtained under the same conditions using pressure sensitive paint (PSP) measurement. Three models are tested: a flat plate without serrations used as the baseline case and two flat plates with serrated leading edges of different wavelength-to-amplitude ratios. Results show that the aerodynamic performance of flat plates with serrations is slightly changed from the baseline case. The plate with short-wavelength serrations underperforms in terms of the lift-to-drag ratio under all the conditions compared to the baseline case while the plate with large-wavelength serrations slightly outperforms it at around the stall angle. The Mach number has little effect on the attached flow while the lift increases with the Mach number under deep stall conditions. Serrations maintain the lift even under high angle of attack conditions when Mach number varies. The two-dimensional pressure distributions and the analyses of local chordwise pressure coefficient distributions at different spanwise locations and of periodicity of spanwise pressure coefficients allow categorisation of the complex flow structures into three types. These configurations feature different types of low pressure regions downstream of troughs. The periodicity of the pattern depends not only on the angle of attack but also on the Mach number.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anyoji M, Numata D, Nagai H, Asai K (2015) Pressure-sensitive paint technique for surface pressure measurements in a low-density wind tunnel. J Vis 18(2):297–309
Anyoji M (2011) Development of a mars wind tunnel and its applications to low reynolds number and high-subsonic airfoil testing. PhD thesis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering
Anyoji M, Nagai H, Asai K (2009) Development of low density wind tunnel to simulate atmospheric flight on mars. In: 47th AIAA aerospace sciences meeting including the new horizons forum and aerospace exposition AIAA paper 2009-1517
Cranston B, Laux C, Altman A (2012) Leading edge serrations on flat plates at low reynolds number. In: 50th AIAA aerospace sciences meeting including the new horizons forum and aerospace exposition AIAA paper 2012-0053
Dropkin A, Custodio D, Henoch C, Johari H (2012) Computation of flow field around an airfoil with leading-edge protuberances. J Aircraft 49(5):1345–1355
Goruney T, Rockwell D (2009) Flow past a delta wing with a sinusoidal leading edge: near-surface topology and flow structure. Exp Fluids 47(2):321–331
Guynn M, Croom M, Smith S, Parks R, Gelhausen P (2003) Evolution of a mars airplane concept for the ares mars scout mission. In: 2nd AIAA unmanned unlimited conf and workshop & exhibit AIAA paper 2003-6578
Hansen KL, Kelso RM, Dally BB (2011) Performance variations of leading-edge tubercles for distinct airfoil profiles. AIAA J 49(1):185–194
Johari H, Henoch CW, Custodio D, Levshin A (2007) Effects of leading-edge protuberances on airfoil performance. AIAA J 45(11):2634–2642
Laitone E (1997) Wind tunnel tests of wings at reynolds numbers below 70 000. Exp Fluids 23(5):405–409
Liu T, Sullivan J (2005) Pressure-and temperature-sensitive paints. Wiley Online Library
Miklosovic D, Murray M, Howle L, Fish F (2004) Leading-edge tubercles delay stall on humpback whale (megaptera novaeangliae) flippers. Phys Fluids 16(5):L39–L42
Mori H, Niimi T, Oshima Y, Hirako M (2004) Development of pressure sensitive paint suitable to surface pressure measurement in high-knudsen number flows. Trans Jpn Soc Mech Eng Part B (Jpn) 16(11):2721–2728
Van Nierop EA, Alben S, Brenner MP (2008) How bumps on whale flippers delay stall: an aerodynamic model. Phys Rev Lett 100(5):054502
Okamoto M, Yasuda K, Azuma A (1996) Aerodynamic characteristics of the wings and body of a dragonfly. J Exp Biol 199:281–294
Oyama A, Fujii K (2006) A study on airfoil design for future mars airplane. In: 44th AIAA aerospace sciences meeting and exhibit AIAA paper 2006-1484
Pankhurst RC, Holder DW (1952) Wind-tunnel technique: an account of experimental methods in low-and high-speed wind tunnels. Pitman, London
Sakai M, Sunada Y, Rinoie K (2015) Three-dimensional separated flow on a flat plate with leading-edge serrations. In: 53rd AIAA aerospace sciences meeting AIAA paper 2015-0047
Yamashita T, Sugiura H, Nagai H, Asai K, Ishida K (2007) Pressure-sensitive paint measurement of the flow around a simplified car model. J Vis 10(3):289–298
Acknowledgements
This work has been carried out in the framework of the exchange agreement between ISAE-SUPAERO and Tohoku University. First author E.M. would like to thank Shintaro Ando for assisting in experiments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mangeol, É., Ishiwaki, D., Wallisky, N. et al. Compressibility effects on flat-plates with serrated leading-edges at a low Reynolds number. Exp Fluids 58, 159 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-017-2443-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-017-2443-6