New paper published

© 2019 EPFL

© 2019 EPFL

Paper: “The role of surface vorticity during unsteady separation” by Matthew Melius, Karen Mulleners, and Raul Cal has been accepted for publication in the Physics of Fluids.

Unsteady flow separation in rotationally augmented flow fields plays a significant role in a variety of fundamental flows. Through the use of time-resolved particle image velocimetry, vorticity accumulation and vortex shedding during unsteady separation over a three-dimensional airfoil are examined. The results of the study describe the critical role of surface vorticity accumulation during unsteady separation and reattachment. Through evaluation of the unsteady characteristics of the shear layer, it is demonstrated that the buildup and shedding of surface vorticity directly influence the dynamic changes of the separation point location. The quantitative characterization of surface vorticity and shear layer stability enables improved aerodynamic designs and has a broad impact within the field of unsteady fluid dynamics.

References

The role of surface vorticity during unsteady separation
Physics of Fluids 30, 045108 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5006527
Matthew S. Melius, Karen Mulleners, and Raúl Bayoán Cal