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Aerodynamic performance of a transonic airfoil with spanwise forcing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2025

Niccolò Berizzi Open the ORCID record for Niccolò Berizzi [Opens in a new window] ,
Davide Gatti Open the ORCID record for Davide Gatti [Opens in a new window] ,
Giulio Soldati Open the ORCID record for Giulio Soldati [Opens in a new window] ,
Sergio Pirozzoli Open the ORCID record for Sergio Pirozzoli [Opens in a new window]  and
Maurizio Quadrio Open the ORCID record for Maurizio Quadrio [Opens in a new window]
Niccolò Berizzi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Aerospaziali, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 34, Milano 20156, Italy
Davide Gatti
Affiliation:
Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kaiserstraße 10, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
Giulio Soldati
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Meccanica e Aeronautica, Università di Roma ‘La Sapienza’, Via Eudossiana 18, Roma 00184, Italy
Sergio Pirozzoli
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Meccanica e Aeronautica, Università di Roma ‘La Sapienza’, Via Eudossiana 18, Roma 00184, Italy
Maurizio Quadrio*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Aerospaziali, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 34, Milano 20156, Italy
*
Corresponding author: Maurizio Quadrio, maurizio.quadrio@polimi.it
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Abstract

Spanwise wall forcing in the form of streamwise-travelling waves is applied to the suction side of a transonic airfoil with a shock wave to reduce aerodynamic drag. The study, conducted using direct numerical simulations, extends earlier findings by Quadrio et al. (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 942(R2), 2022, pp. 1–10) and confirms that the wall manipulation shifts the shock wave on the suction side towards the trailing edge of the profile, thereby enhancing its aerodynamic efficiency. A parametric study over the parameters of wall forcing is carried out for the Mach number set at 0.7 and the Reynolds number at 300 000. Similarities and differences with the incompressible plane case are discussed; for the first time, we describe how the interaction between the shock wave and the boundary layer is influenced by flow control via spanwise forcing. With suitable combinations of control parameters, the shock is delayed, which results in a separated region whose length correlates well with friction reduction. The analysis of the transient process following the sudden application of control is used to link flow separation with the intensification of the shock wave.

JFM classification

Turbulent Flows: Compressible turbulence Turbulent Flows: Turbulence control

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JFM Papers
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Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1010 , 10 May 2025 , A18
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Supplementary material: File

Berizzi et al. supplementary material movie 1

Transient of flow case C10. On the left: time histories of the spanwise-averaged mean friction coefficient between x = 0.3 and x = 0.4 (top), the shock position (center) and the length of the recirculation bubble (bottom), after sudden activation of StTW. The horizontal lines show the mean asymptotic value (coloured) and the mean value of the REF flow case (black). On the right: magnitude of the pressure gradient on a (x, y) plane, shortly after the control activation (t = 1.7), and at a later time (t = 16.6).
Download Berizzi et al. supplementary material movie 1(File)
File 10 MB
Supplementary material: File

Berizzi et al. supplementary material movie 2

Transient of flow case C13. On the left: time histories of the spanwise-averaged mean friction coefficient between x = 0.3 and x = 0.4 (top), the shock position (center) and the length of the recirculation bubble (bottom), after sudden activation of StTW. The horizontal lines show the mean asymptotic value (coloured) and the mean value of the REF flow case (black). On the right: magnitude of the pressure gradient on a (x, y) plane, shortly after the control activation (t = 1.7), and at a later time (t = 16.6).
Download Berizzi et al. supplementary material movie 2(File)
File 9.9 MB