BOUNDARY LAYER CONTROL

Presented by Arun sangam 2nd sem, Aerostructures I.I.A.E.M Jain university

Contents
Introduction to Boundary Layer(B.L) Flow separation and its effects Boundary layer control

Boundary layer ?

 In 1904 Prandtl discovered that for most practical applications, the influence of viscosity is observed in a very thin domain, close to the object as shown in Fig. Therefore, outside this region one can assume the flow is inviscid (=0). The thin region where the effect of viscosity is dominant is called the momentum or viscous boundary layer.

Viscous or momentum boundary layer

SEPARATION ?

Separation
In a situation where pressure increases downstream the fluid particles cannot move up against it by virtue of its kinetic energy. Inside the boundary layer the velocity in a layer could reduce so much that the kinetic energy of the fluid particles is no longer adequate to move the particles against the pressure gradient. This leads to flow reversal. Since the fluid layer higher up still have energy to mover forward a rolling of fluid streams occurs, which is called separation

Flow separation
Flow separation occurs when: the velocity at the wall is zero or negative and an inflection point exists in the velocity profile, and a positive or adverse pressure gradient occurs in the direction of flow.

Onset of separation

Effect of separation
There is an increase in drag as a result of separation as it prevents pressure recovery. There is low pressure in separated region and it persists in the entire region. Turbulent eddies formed due to separation can not convert their rotational energy back into pressure head. So there is no pressure recovery (increase). The difference between high pressure at the front and low pressure at rear increases the drag. This increase in drag overshadows any increase in lift due to increase in the angle of attack

Boundary-Layer Control
1) Passive Methods
1.1) Vortex Generators 1.2) Flaps/Slats

2) Active Methods
2.1) Mobile Surfaces 2.2) Suction 2.3) Blowing 2.4) Binary Boundary-Layers

1.1) Vortex Generators

Vortex generators are simply small rectangular plates that sit above the wing surface. They look like tiny little wings sitting up perpendicular to the wing itself. As air moves past them, vortices are created off the tips of the generators. These vortices interact with the rest of the air moving over the wing to speed it up and help prevent separation.

1.2) Leading Edge Devices

(Nose flaps, Kruger flaps, and Slats)

Nose flaps, Kruger flaps, and Slats are several types of leading edge devices used to increase the maximum lift coefficient of the aircraft. The system has an opening at the leading edge of the airfoil allowing high pressure air under the airfoil to pass. As a result, the high pressure air mixes with the air at the top surface and increases the energy of the boundary-layer at the surface. By increasing the energy of the boundary-layer the wing can sustain higher angles of attack and a higher maximum coefficient of lift.

How do Multi-element Airfoils Work?

Prandtl wrote: The air coming out of a slot blows into the boundary layer on the top of the wing and imparts fresh momentum to the particles in it, which have been slowed down by the action of viscosity. Owing to this help the particles are able to reach the sharp rear edge without breaking away This prevents stall

2.1) Motion of the Solid Surface

Boundary-layers are formed due to the velocity difference between the solid surface and the outer flow. The boundary-layer can therefore be eliminated or minimized by removing the velocity difference. This can be achieved by moving the wall along with the flow.

uw=U

Motion of the Solid Surface

An example of a moving surface is a semi-infinite circular cylinder rotating about its center. On the upper side, the separation of the boundary-layer is completely avoided. Because of the difference in velocities on the bottom side, a transverse force is created and separation still occurs. This is called the Magnus effect.

Motion of the Solid Surface

In 1938, A. Favre applied this moving surface principle to an airfoil. A rotating belt was incorporated into the top surface of the airfoil.

Motion of the Solid Surface

Determining The Separation Point
A new separation parameter must be chosen ( X w ! 0 is no longer valid). The MRS criterion is used to determine separation along a moving surface. Separation happens when:

u!0

&

xu ! 0 occur simultaneously. xy

2.2) Slit Suction

L. Prandtl, in 1904, created a narrow slit in one side of a circular cylinder and applied suction. The flow follows along the surface of the body where the suction is applied thus preventing separation. Slit suction is based on the change in velocity distribution, U(x), of the outer flow. This causes the flow to accelerate in front of the slit (creating a favorable pressure gradient) and prevents separation. Behind the slit, the sink decelerates the outer flow, but since the boundary layer is again starting over from zero thickness, it can withstand some adverse pressure gradient before eventually separating.

2.3) Tangential Blowing and Suction

By supplying additional energy to fluid particles in the boundarylayer that are low in energy, flow can remain attached to the surface.

Two ways of accomplishing this are blowing high velocity fluid from inside the body and sucking low energy fluid from the boundary-layer into the body.

Blowing
Since flow separation is due to loss of kinetic energy (momentum) in the boundary layer adjacent to the wall, a method of prevent separation is to re-energize the air by blowing a thin, high-speed jet into it. BLC is achieved by tangentially blowing higher velocity fluid out from inside the body as shown in fig. The danger of separation is removed by the supply of K.E to the boundary layer. It is essential that good mixing takes place between the blown air and the boundary layer. The effectiveness of wing flaps can be greatly improved if fluid is tangentially blown out just in front of the flap. if the intensity of the blown jet is high enough, even the lift predicted by potential energy theory can be surpassed.

blowing

Velocity Distribution Directly Behind Slit for Tangential Blowing

VIDEO SHOWING BLOWING

Suction
The separation of boundary layer can also be prevented by suction. The low energy fluid in the boundary layer is removed by suction before it can separate. Behind the suction slit, a new B.L forms which can over come a certain pressure rise. If the slit is arranged suitably , in certain circumstances the flow will not separate at all.

sucking

VIDEO SHOWING SUCTION

3.3) Continuous Suction and Blowing

To be able to use continuous suction or blowing, the surface must be permeable. Continuous blowing reduces wall shear stress and friction drag. If a different fluid is injected into the boundary-layer, a binary boundary-layer occurs and can be used to produce transpiration cooling over the surface. Continuous suction prevents boundary-layer separation by removing the low energy fluid. Suction always stabilizes the boundary-layer.

3.4) Binary Boundary-Layers

A binary boundary-layer is formed when a fluid other than that of the outer flow is being blown. Momentum and heat are still exchanged in the boundary-layer, but now mass is also exchanged through diffusion. This mass exchange introduces a concentration boundary-layer. These boundary-layers frequently occur in hypersonic flow.

Binary Boundary-Layers
Cooling
There are three boundary-layer cooling scenarios, all of which result in the formation of binary boundary-layers. Transpiration Cooling occurs when a light gas is blown over a surface. This results in a drastic reduction of heat transfer. Typically, transpiration cooling is used in heat protection applications. Evaporation Cooling occurs when a layer of liquid evaporates at the wall. Sublimation Cooling occurs if the wall material itself melts or sublimates.

Turbulent Boundary-Layer Control

Laminar flow control causes a decrease in drag, but laminar flow is not always desirable. Turbulent flow is less prone to separation. Turbulent flow control uses higher momentum to advantage.

Benefits of Controlled Turbulence

Maintain flow attachment. Eliminate counterproductive large scale vortices.

Riblets
Drag reduction device used to trip boundary- layer into controlled turbulence. Size on the order of tenths of a millimeter. Prevents large scale vortex formation. Naturally present on sharks.

Riblets
Thickening of viscous sublayer. Reduction in turbulence intensities and Reynolds stress at the riblet wall. Work as a constraint to the production of the Reynolds stresses associated with the growth and eruption of the eddies in the lowspeed regions of the boundary-layers.

Conclusions
By careful application of the above described methods Boundary layer separation can be significantly reduced.

THANK YOU .

Ultrasonically Absorptive Surfaces

Recently performed linear stability analyses suggested that transition could be delayed in hypersonic boundary layers by using an ultrasonically absorptive surface that would damp the second mode (Mack mode). The experiments show that the porous surface was highly effective in delaying transition provided that the hole size was significantly smaller than the viscous length scale.