Wake patterns and mode switching at low Reynolds numbers

2023-01-01
Naeem, Nabih
Fouda, Mahmoud
Guney, Mertcan
Kurtuluş, Dilek Funda
Instantaneous wake structures behind a 2% thick NACA 0002 symmetric airfoil are numerically studied in 2D at six different angles of attack for Reynolds numbers ranging from 100 to 3,000. Classification of the flow patterns based on vortex structure is discussed. An in-depth study of the various flow modes of vortex dynamics in the wake of the airfoil is presented, considering the amplitude spectrum of the lift coefficient and Poincare maps. A new mode in addition to a mode switching phenomenon is identified to extend the Kurtulus modes defined in the literature. For 25 degrees, 30 degrees, and 35 degrees angles of attack and Reynolds number above 1,100, considering 2% thick NACA airfoil, mode switching is identified where the flow could not achieve a stable state but rather fluctuates between two modes. New links are made between the modes' transitions, mode switching, Reynolds-based bifurcations, and the sudden changes of the forces acting on the airfoil considering the change in mean aerodynamic coefficients with variations in Reynolds number. Lastly, the evolution and the stability of the wake patterns have been examined, describing their effect on the airfoil's aerodynamic performances.
PROGRESS IN COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS
Citation Formats
N. Naeem, M. Fouda, M. Guney, and D. F. Kurtuluş, “Wake patterns and mode switching at low Reynolds numbers,” PROGRESS IN COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 87–110, 2023, Accessed: 00, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/102882.