Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-fmk2r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-03T16:17:11.675Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Aerofoil at low speeds with Gurney flaps

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

L. Brown  and
A. Filippone
L. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing Engineering, UMIST Manchester, UK
A. Filippone
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing Engineering, UMIST Manchester, UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper reviews the research on Gurney flaps and related high lift trailing edge devices. It investigates aerofoil performances at Reynolds numbers Re ≅ 105 and below, both with the clean configuration and various Gurney flap sizes. The device height is optimised, and a semi-empirical formula linking flap height to free stream speed and aerofoil chord is proposed. The analysis shows that the optimal size of the device is always below the boundary-layer thickness at the trailing edge. Discussion of results includes analysis of hysteresis loops occurring in the L/D performances. These are mostly due to large changes in drag and small changes in lift, which occur when the aerofoil is restored to the reference angle of attack.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 107 , Issue 1075 , September 2003 , pp. 539 - 546
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2003 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Zaparka, F. United States Patent RE-19, 412 (reissue), Jan 1935.Google Scholar
2. Liebeck, R.H., Design of subsonic aerofoils for high lift. J Aircr, September 1978, 15, (15), pp 547–561.Google Scholar
3. Wheeler, G. Private communication, March 2002.Google Scholar
4. Henne, P.G. and Greg, R.D., Divergent trailing-edge aerofoil. United States Patent No 4,858,852 (on the Internet at http://www.uspto.gov), August 1989.Google Scholar
5. Henne, P.G. and Greg, R.D., A new aerofoil design concept. J Aircr, 28, (5), pp 300–311, October 1991. (Also AIAA Paper 89-2201, 1989).Google Scholar
6. Henne, P.A. Innovation W ith Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Divergent Trailing-Edge Aerofoil, 125, Progress in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Chapter 8. AIAA, 1991.Google Scholar
7. Wainfan, B., Micro flap trailing edge device for an aircraft wing. United States Patent No 4,867,396 (on the Internet at http://www.uspto.gov), September 1989.Google Scholar
8. Sims-Williams, D.B., White, A.J. and Dominy, R.G., Gurney flap aerodynamic unsteadiness. Sports Engineering, Nov 1999, 4, (4), pp 221–234.Google Scholar
9. Vijgen, P.M.H.W., Howard, F.G., Bushnell, D.M. and Holmes, B.J., Serrated trailing edges for improving lift and drag characteristics of lifting surfaces. United States Patent No 5,088,665 (on the Internet at http://www.uspto.gov), February 1992.Google Scholar
10. van Dam, C.P., Yen, D.T. and Vijgen, P.M.H.W., Gurney flap experiments on aerofoils and wings, March 1999, J Aircr, 36, (2), pp 484–486.Google Scholar
11. Boyd, J.A., Trailing edge device for an aerofoil. United States Patent No 4,542,868 (on the Internet at http://www.uspto.gov), September 1985.Google Scholar
12. Kats, J. and Dykstra, L., Study of an open-wheel racing car’s rear-wing aerodynamics. In SAE International Congress and Exposition, SAE Paper 890600, Feb. 1989, Detroit, MI.Google Scholar
13. Myose, R., Papadakis, M. and HERON, I., Gurney flap experiments on aerofoils, wings, and reflection plane models. J Aircr, March 1998, 35, (35), pp 206–211.Google Scholar
14. Giguere, P., Lemay, J. and Dumas, G., Gurney flap scaling for optimum lift-to-drag ratio. AIAA J, December 1997, 35, (35), pp 1888–1890.Google Scholar
15. Kentfield, J.A.C., The potential of Gurney flaps for improving the aerodynamic performance of helicopter rotors. AIAA Paper 93-4883, 1993.Google Scholar
16. Buchholz, M.D. and Tso, J. J., Lift augmentation on delta wing with leading-edge fences and Gurney flap. J Aircr, December 2000, 37, (37), pp 1050–1057.Google Scholar
17. Bao, N., Ma, H. and Ye, Z., Experimental study of wind turbine power augmentation using aerofoil flaps, including the Gurney flap. Wind Engineering, 24, (1), pp 25–34, January 2000.Google Scholar
18. Storms, B.S. and Jang, C.S., Lift enhancement of an aerofoil using a Gurney flap and vortex generators. J Aircr, May 1994, 31, (31), pp 542–547.Google Scholar
19. Richter, H. and Rosemann, H., Experimental investigation of trailing-edge devices at transonic speeds. In Proceedings of the Royal Aeronautical Society Aerodynamics Research Conference, April 2001, pp 27.1–27.9, London.Google Scholar
20. Schubauer, G.B. and Skramstad, H.K., Laminar-boundary-layer oscillations and transition on a flat plate. NACA Report 909, 1948.Google Scholar
21. Pope, A. and Rae, W.H. Low-Speed wind-tunnel Testing John Wiley, 1984.Google Scholar
22. Drela, M. Xfoil: An analysis and design system for low reynolds number aerofoils, in lecture notes in engineering No 54. Springer Verlag, 1989.Google Scholar
23. Drela, M., Low-Reynolds number aerofoil design for the MIT Daedalus prototype: A case study. J Aircr, August 1988, 25, (25), pp 724–732.Google Scholar
24. Houghton, E.L. and Carpenter, P.W., Aerodynamics for Engineering Students. Arnold Publ, 1993, London.Google Scholar
25. Selig, M.S., Guglielmo, J.J., Broeren, A.P. and Giguere, P., Experiments on aerofoils at low Reynolds numbers. AIAA Paper 96-0062, 1996.Google Scholar