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Experiments on the reduction of base drag of a blunt trailing edge aerofoil in subsonic flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

S. L. Gai  and
S. D. Sharma
S. L. Gai
Affiliation:
Aeronautical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
S. D. Sharma
Affiliation:
Aeronautical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
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Extract

It has been pointed out by a number of investigators that aerofoils with blunt trailing edges have many advantages, both structural and aerodynamic, at transonic and supersonic speeds. However, a profile with a blunt trailing edge unfortunately creates a high base drag at subsonic speeds and this could result in the total drag being considerably higher than that for a profile with a sharp trailing edge. This base drag arises due to the periodic vortex shedding from the blunt base which causes low pressures in the wake thus creating the base drag.

In order to reduce the base drag of a blunt trailing edge at subsonic speeds, this periodic vortex shedding must be suppressed. This has been achieved by various methods — a splitter plate behind the base, the base bleed, base cavities — and these have shown varying degrees of drag reduction.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 85 , Issue 844 , May 1981 , pp. 206 - 210
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1981 

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