Investigation of flow behind vortex generators by stereo particle image velocimetry on a thick airfoil near stall

Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry measurements investigating the effect of vortex generators (VGs) on the flow near stall were carried out in a purpose-built wind tunnel for airfoil investigations on a DU 91-W2-250 profile. Measurements were conducted at Re = 0.9⋅106, corresponding to free stream velocity U∞ = 15 m s−1. The objective was to investigate the flow structures induced by the vortex generators and study their separation controlling behavior on the airfoil. The uncontrolled flow (no VGs) displayed unsteady behavior with separation as observed from large streamwise velocity variations. The corresponding controlled flow (with VGs) showed the same unsteadiness, where the appearance of the vortex structures alternated with a much less separated or even attached boundary layer as also seen in the measured airfoil data: CL = 1.56, CD = 0.116 with VGs and CL = 1.16, CD = 0.135 without. On average, the controlled flow left an attached flow as opposed to the uncontrolled one. Mixing close to the wall, transferring high momentum fluid into the near wall region, was observed, and the hypothesis of variations in the streamwise velocity component in the boundary layer was supported by a Snapshot Proper Orthogonal Decomposition analysis. This analysis also revealed some of the dynamics of the induced vortices. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.