Effects of Active Flow Control on Fan-In-Wing Aerodynamic Performance In Hover and Forward Flight

Abstract

Aerodynamic performance of a fan-in-wing configuration in hover and forward flight is further investigated using an active flow control technique. The previous investigation has demonstrated the efficacy of active flow control to improve the aerodynamic performance of fan-in-wing device operating at a fixed rotational frequency. In the present study, the fan-in-wing device is numerically investigated at a fixed fan pitch angle operating at a series of rotational frequencies under two free stream conditions, one representing the device in hover (zero free stream velocity) and another representing the device in forward flight condition (non-zero free stream velocity). Effects of different active flow control strategies are assessed and compared with the baseline model in both hover and forward flight conditions.