Analysis of the Boundary Layer on a Highly Flexible Wing Based on Infrared Thermography Measurements

The effects of the wing skin distortion on the boundary layer of a highly flexible wing are analyzed in a wind tunnel experiment using infrared thermography measurements. Considerable differences in the boundary layer flow are observed when comparing the sections of the wing near the ribs, where the design shape of the wing is preserved, and...

Experimental and numerical investigation into the drag performance of dimpled surfaces in a turbulent boundary layer

Although several previous studies have reported a potential drag-reducing effect of dimpled surfaces in turbulent boundary layers, there is a lack of replicability across experiments performed by different research groups. To contribute to the dialogue, we scrutinize one of the most studied dimple geometries reported in the literature, which...

Integrated Aeroelastic Measurements of the Periodic Gust Response of a Highly Flexible WIng

The aeroelastic response of a highly flexible wing to periodic gust excitation is determined experimentally. The integrated optical measurement approach that is applied provides combined measurements of the structural response of the wing and the unsteady flow field around it. The aeroelastic loads acting on the wing are derived from these...

Advanced Infrared Thermography Data Analysis for Unsteady Boundary Layer Transition Detection

Advanced data processing methods for detecting unsteady boundary layer transition in periodic aerodynamic processes by means of infrared thermography measurements are presented. The thermal radiation emitted from the heated suction surface of a pitching airfoil model in subsonic flow is measured with an infrared camera. The unsteady boundary...

Accurate position control of a flapping-wing robot enabling free-flight flow visualisation in a wind tunnel

Flow visualisations are essential to better understand the unsteady aerodynamics of flapping wing flight. The issues inherent to animal experiments, such as poor controllability and unnatural flapping when tethered, can be avoided by using robotic flyers that promise for a more systematic and repeatable methodology. Here, we present a new...