What is it about?
Leading Edge Vortex (LEV) is a commonly observed phenomenon in flow applications where large flow variations occur (E.g. helicopters, wind turbines etc.). It is hence important to study the flow physics and develop a criterion to indicate onset of LEV shedding. This paper is one such effort where we link the process of initiation to a critical parameter identified in the boundary layer (Shape Factor).
Featured Image
Photo by DON JACKSON-WYATT on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The study of onset of LEV shedding is important because the phenomenon could be advantageous/disadvantageous depending on the real-world application. On one hand, it plays a major role in helping insect flight but also poses a challenge in helicopter flows. This calls for the development of robust yet simple design methods which could predict LEV initiation with reasonable accuracy.
Perspectives
I hope this article has thrown some more light on the topic of "Criterion for LEV shedding". Though there are other well established criteria, we believe this is something that would be distinct. This could also pave the way for future research being modelled using boundary layer concepts. I hope you found the paper well articulated and thought-provoking.
Hariharan Ramanathan
North Carolina State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Boundary-Layer Characteristics at the Onset of Leading-Edge Vortex Formation on Unsteady Airfoils, June 2019, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2019-3590.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
