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Surface Flow Patterns as Visualised by Dust Deposits on the Blades of a Fan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

E. T. Hignett  and
M. M. Gibson
E. T. Hignett
Affiliation:
Department of Fluid Mechanics, University of Liverpool
M. M. Gibson
Affiliation:
Department of Fluid Mechanics, University of Liverpool
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Extract

Investigations by one of the authors in connection with the design of a fan for a blower type of wind tunnel showed that regular and repeatable dust patterns occurred on the blades of a one-quarter scale model fan of 18 inches diameter. Dust was deposited on the fan blades along the leading-edge and on the suction surface over an area thought to be the turbulent region of the boundary layer. The introduction of isolated protuberances on the dust free area of a blade gave rise to turbulence wedges in which dust was also deposited and this was interpreted as confirmation of the coincidence of the dust deposits with regions of turbulent boundary-layer flow. These deposits showed the existence of a considerable extent of laminar flow on the suction surface of each blade close to the root, a region where high lift coefficients would be expected with associated adverse pressure gradients. Two-dimensional wind tunnel experiments were made to confirm the interpretation of the observed dust patterns by comparison with the smoke filament and volatile liquid methods of flow visualisation and these are reported in Reference 2.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 67 , Issue 633 , September 1963 , pp. 589 - 594
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1963

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References

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