Effects of a small airfoil-shaped splitter plate on vortex shedding from a square prism at subsonic Mach numbers

Abstract

The present study is concerned with effects of a small airfoil-shaped splitter plate (NACA 0018, chord lengthc=20 cm) on the vortex shedding from a single square prism (side lengthD=20 mm) at free-stream Mach numbers between 0.15 and 0.91 and a constant spacing ratioL/D=2.0, whereL is the central distance between the square prism and airfoil arranged in tandem. It is found that while there exist no shock waves in the flow the vortex shedding from a single square prism is retarded by the small airfoil due to the interaction with the upper and lower separating shear layers: The Strouhal number for the square prism and airfoil being arranged in tandem, is almost independent of the Mach number and takes about 0.11. This is smaller than the value of 0.13 known for a single square prism. However, as soon as shock waves appear in the flow, the Strouhal number increases suddenly and then increases with increasing the Mach number. It is inferred that the sudden increase of the Strouhal number is primarily caused by shock waves appearing above and below the vortex formation region, for the shock waves make the vortex formation region small and symmetrical with respect to the common axis of the square prism and airfoil. That means, the small airfoil causes only a secondary effect on the vortex shedding from a single square prism under the presence of shock waves in the flow.