Unsteady, viscous, incompressible flows over an airfoil under flapping motion are numerically investigated. Depending on key parameters such as Reynolds number, reduced frequency, and flapping amplitudes, a flapping airfoil could experience complex flow fields. The trailing-edge vortex plays an important role to induce inverse Karman-vortex street which is a jetlike flow on the downstream and then generates thrust. And, the leading-edge separation vortex is closely related on the propulsive efficiency. Through careful computations of several pitching, plunging, and plunging combined with pitching modes in terms of flow and/or geometry parameters, the key physical flow phenomenon dictating the aerodynamic characteristics of flapping airfoil is identified. Based on the analysis of thrust coefficient and propulsive efficiency a new airfoil shape for optimal aerodynamic performance is proposed. The improved performance of the new flapping airfoil is validated in terms of thrust coefficient and propulsive efficiency in various low-Reynolds number flow regimes.


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    Title :

    Design of flapping airfoil for optimum aerodynamic performance in Low-Reynolds number flows


    Additional title:

    Optimierung der aerodynamischen Effizienz eines schlagenden Tragflügels bei niedrigen Reynoldszahlen


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    AIAA Journal (online) ; 44 , 9 ; 1960-1972


    Publication date :

    2006


    Size :

    13 Seiten, 32 Bilder, 16 Quellen




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English