Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Co-Flow Jet Technique in Clarky-M18 Aerofoil

Abstract

The effect of Co-Flow Jet (CFJ) Techniques on the ClarkY-M18 Aerofoil is studied in this paper. The use of Flow Control Techniques (FCT) to enhance the performance of aerofoils has emerged as a prominent area of research in past few decades. CFJ is one of the FCT that adds significant momentum to the boundary layer and delays the boundary layer separation substantially. As a consequence, there is a radical increase in critical Angle of Attack and aerodynamic efficiency of an aerofoil. The drag force is also considerably decreased. Firstly, a numerical analysis is done on three unmodified aerofoils i.e., ClarkY-M18, Eppler 1212 and Wortmann FX66-182. Based on the obtained results, ClarkY-M18 is selected for implementation of CFJ technique. High-pressure air injected tangentially throughout the span at the leading edge while a low-pressure source removes the same amount of air at the trailing edge. The optimum locations and heights of the injection and suction slots is calculated. The desirable sizes of the injection and suction slots are deduced. A numerical study and an experimental investigation are conducted on a full CFJ ClarkY-M18 Aerofoil wing. The results obtained from the experimental and numerical analysis are compared and the augmentation of aerodynamic performance is validated.

Keywords: Co-Flow Jet, Delay in Boundary Layer Separation, Flow Control Technique.