Design optimization of the aerodynamic passive flow control on NACA 4415 airfoil using vortex generators

Abstract

The present paper provides an experimental optimization of a NACA 4415 airfoil equipped with vortex generators (VGs) to control its flow separation. To build this optimal configuration an experimental parametric study was conducted on five geometrical parameters: thickness and height of vortex generators, position, orientation angle with respect to the mean flow direction, spacing in the spanwise direction. Moreover, a new configuration that includes micro generators behind the conventional ones was also investigated as a potentially interesting solution. For all these cases wind tunnel tests were performed and compared for different angles of attack and various Reynolds numbers up to 2 105. These experiments enabled us to highlight the main trends to get an optimal design, for which quantitative improvement can be achieved by passive means in terms of aerodynamic performances on NACA4415 airfoil. The results reveal that triangular shape vortex generators are best suited to control boundary layer separation. An optimum angle of VGs is obtained for 12°with a 3 mm distance between vortex generators located at 50% of the chord. It was found that micro vortex generators are very effective in controlling the flow with less parasite drag. The maximum lift coefficient for an airfoil with coupled vortex generators increases by 21% and a flow separation is delayed by 17°. However, this very good performance is counterbalanced by the appearance of parasitic drag. Indeed, it creates a counter-rotating array of vortices with the second raw of micro-vortex generators that reinforce the vortexes strength without any increase in device height.