When Do Endplates Work?

What is it about?

Endplates are plates put on either side of an airfoil section in a wind tunnel in order to simulate 2D flow over the airfoil by blocking the 3D effects that form on the ends of the airfoil. This paper studies how far or close the endplates must be from the ends of the airfoil in order to be effective.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

There is currently no industry-defined distance for the endplates to be from the airfoil, and for 2D flow studies it is imperative that you pick the right distance to get the proper flow characteristics and not taint the results with 3D effects.