Aerodynamic Flow Control of a NACA 0018 Airfoil Using Triangular Porous Texturing Elements

Passive flow control methods play a pivotal role in enhancing aerodynamic performance without the need for active energy inputs. This study investigates the effects of triangular porous textured (TPT) elements on the flow characteristics of a NACA 0018 airfoil. To do a comparative analysis, a baseline airfoil was used against the airfoil modified with the TPT elements to assess any change in the efficiency of the passive flow control device. The TPT elements are 1 mm equilateral triangular prisms, the spacing between the elements in any given row is 5mm (center to center of base) and the spacing between the rows is 4mm. The rows are staggered. The data collected was from a force balance connected at the trailing edge of each airfoil at midspan. Additionally, planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) data was collected at three-quarter span from each airfoil at pre-stall, stall, and post-stall angles of attack at several velocities. The goal of this experiment is to enhance aerodynamic performance through boundary layer control and flow control. The results are verified by completing a lift and drag comparison, a pitching moment analysis, and investigating the effectiveness of TPT’s on near-wall turbulence and flow separation using PIV and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).