Resonant mode interaction in a canonical separated flow

Abstract

A novel configuration has been devised to study the flow physics of separated airfoil flows. The configuration allows us to prescribe the size and extent of the separation zone. A systematic variation of key separation parameters then allows us to precisely delineate the processes that govern resonant-mode interactions and transition in these flows. Numerical simulations of this configuration indicate the presence of three distinct characteristic time scales associated with the shear layer, the separation zone and the vortex shedding in the wake. © 2006 Springer.