Dynamic Roughness as a Means of Leading-Edge Separation Flow Control

Abstract

The aircraft industry, as a whole, has been deeply concerned with improving the aerodynamic efficiency of current and future flight vehicles, particularly in the commercial and military markets. However, of particular interest to the field of aerodynamics is the elusive concept of a workable flow control mechanism. Effective flow control is a concept which if properly applied can increase aerodynamic efficiency. Various concepts and ideas to obtain successful flow control have been studied in an attempt to reap these rewards. Some examples include boundary layer blowing (steady and periodic), suction, and synthetic jets. The overall goal of flow control is to increase performance. The specific objectives of flow control include: 1) delay or eliminate flow separation, 2) delay boundary layer transition or 3) reduce skin friction drag. The purpose of this research is to investigate dynamic surface roughness as a novel method of flow control technology for external boundary layer flows. As opposed to standard surface roughness, dynamic roughness incorporates small time dependent perturbations to the surface of the airfoil. These surface perturbations are actual humps and/or ridges that are on the scale of the laminar boundary layer, and oscillate with an unsteady motion. Research has shown that this can provide a means to modify the instantaneous and mean velocity profile near the wall and favorably control the existing state of the boundary layer. The results of this study have shown that dynamic roughness can be a viable alternative in delaying and/or eliminating the leading edge laminar separation bubble and hence reaping some of the rewards of an effective flow control system, while also maintaining some physical advantages over other techniques.