Unsteady surface pressure characteristics of asymmetrically beveled trailing edges

Abstract

The characteristics of unsteady surface pressure (USP) created by turbulent flow over a family of asymmetrically beveled trailing edges were studied experimentally. The geometries had a trailing edge angle $$\theta =25^\circ$$ with a flat lower surface and a rounded upper surface with radii of curvature between zero and ten times the airfoil thickness. The Reynolds number was $$Re=2.1\times 10^6$$ based on chord. A detailed description of the USP and flow field around the trailing edge was obtained using remote microphone probes (RMP) and particle image velocimetry (PIV), respectively. The lower surface exhibited USP auto-spectral density magnitudes that were similar to those of a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer at higher frequency. The low-frequency pressure fluctuations were influenced by the turbulent wake, leading to large increases in magnitude closer to the trailing edge. An empirical model of these results is proposed. The beveled upper surface was characterized by a region of favorable pressure gradient, followed by a strong adverse pressure gradient. The cases with smaller radius of curvature were found to exhibit separated flow over the trailing edge. The spectral magnitudes were largest in these regions, and significant attention is given to the proper scaling of these results. The PIV measurements provided the length and velocity scales for this purpose.