The Effect of Periodic Unsteady Flow on Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer on a Curved Surface

Aerodynamic and heat transfer investigations were performed on a constant curvature curved plate in a subsonic wind tunnel facility for various wake passing frequencies under zero pressure gradient conditions. Steady and unsteady boundary layer transition measurements were taken on the concave surface at different wake passing frequencies in which a rotating squirrel cage was used to generate the unsteady wake flow. The data were analyzed using time-averaged and ensemble averaged techniques to provide insight into the growth of the boundary layer and transition. Ensemble averaged turbulence intensity contours in the temporal spatial domain showed that transition was induced for increasing wake passing frequency and structure. The local heat transfer coefficient distributions for the concave and convex surfaces were determined for each wake passing frequency using a liquid crystal heat transfer measurement technique. Aerodynamic and heat transfer investigations showed that higher wake passing frequencies caused earlier transition on the concave surface. Local Stanton numbers were calculated on the concave surface and compared to Stanton numbers predicted using a boundary layer and heat transfer calculation method. On the convex side, no effect of wake passing on heat transfer was observed, due to a separation bubble that induced transition.