22nd Congress of International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Harrogate, UK, 28 August - 1st September, 2000
Paper ICAS 2000-3.4.4

ON THE EFFECTS OF A INSTALLED PROPELLER SLIPSTREAM ON A WING BOUNDARY LAYER

F. M. Catalano
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Keywords: wing, boundary layer, propeller, slipstream

This work presents a experimental study of the effect of a installed propeller slipstream on a wing boundary layer. The main objective was to analyse through wind tunnel experiments the effect of the propeller slipstream on the wing boundary layer characteristics such as: Laminar flow extension and transition, laminar separation bubbles and reattachment and turbulent separation Two propeller/wing configurations were studied: pusher and tractor. Experimental work was performed using two different models: a two-dimensional wing with a central cylindrical nacelle for the tractor configuration and a simple twodimensional wing with a downstream propeller for pusher tests. Relative position between propeller and wing could be changed in the pusher model and a total of 7 positions were analysed. For the tractor tests the relative propeller/wing was fixed but three different propellers: two, three and four bladed were tested. Measurements included pressure distribution, hot wire anemometry and boundary layer characteristics by Flow visualisation. Results showed that the pusher propeller inflow affects the wing characteristics by changing lift, drag, and also delay boundary layer transition and separation. These effects are highly dependent on the relative position of the wing/propeller. In the other hand tractor propeller slipstream induces transition and its effect is dependent on the number of blades.

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