Genesis of the Kutta condition

Genesis of the Kutta condition: An empirical study of the transient flow which produces the Kutta-condition flow-field

van Pelt, Pieter (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering)

Veldhuis, L.L.M. (mentor)
Gerritsma, M.I. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Aerospace Engineering

2019-09-27

The Kutta condition is a boundary condition applied at a wing’s trailing edge (TE), which enables the calculation of the fluid-dynamic lift produced by a wing in potential flow. This condition is actually a stable equilibrium resulting from a transient flow. The main question of this research is: how is the Kutta condition flow-field created when a wing is brought in motion from rest? This is investigated using an experimental apparatus, in which a wing model is accelerated from rest and the transient TE flow is analysed using high-speed Particle Image Velocimetry techniques. Initially, fluid moves from the airfoil’s pressure side, along the TE, towards the suction side, and a boundary layer is created. Then, boundary layer stagnation occurs, a vortex separates from the TE, and a transformation in the presence and locations of stagnation/separation occurs. The observed process confirms classical theories which describe the creation of the Kutta condition flow-field.

Kutta condition
empirical
transient flow
unsteady flow
flow separation
PIV
theory verification
panel method
trailing edge
airfoil aerodynamics

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:fe4ab61e-310e-488f-aed7-2d82d0ed010c

Student theses

master thesis

© 2019 Pieter van Pelt