Surface suction on aerofoil aerodynamic characteristics at transonic speeds

This paper presents a numerical study of the effects of an active flow control through surface suction on shock boundary layer interactions over transonic aerofoils. Two different aerofoils were studied. Firstly, for the purpose of validation, an NACA64A010 aerofoil with a trailing edge flap was investigated and the numerical results were compared with experimental data with and without suction for surface pressure distributions and lift and drag coefficients. Grid sensitivity has also been studied regarding the numerical accuracy. The second geometry was an RAE9647 aerofoil, which was designed for superior aerodynamic performance when applied to a helicopter rotor blade. An active surface was used to prevent or alleviate shock-induced separation. The suction strength and location were varied to determine the effect on aerodynamic performance and to provide an effective means of suppressing undesirable flow features. In both cases, increases in both lift and drag were observed when surface suction was applied. However, the benefit of suction appeared in the form of a substantial increase in the lift-drag ratio. It was also found that the shock location and strength are very sensitive to the suction location and strength. Two different mechanisms for active flow control over transonic aerofoils are discussed.