This article describes a direct comparison between two symmetrical airfoils undergoing dynamic stall at high, unsteady reduced frequencies under otherwise identical conditions. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was performed to distinguish the differences in flow structure between a NACA 0021 and a NACA 0012 airfoil undergoing dynamic stall. In addition, surface pressure measurements were performed to evaluate aerodynamic load and investigate the effect of laminar separation bubbles and vortex structures on the pressure fields surrounding the airfoils. Airfoil geometry is shown to have a significant effect on flow structure development and boundary layer separation, with separation occurring earlier for thinner airfoil sections undergoing constant pitch-rate motion. Inertial forces were identified to have a considerable impact on the overall force generation with increasing rotation rate. Force oscillation was observed to correlate with multiple vortex structures shedding at the trailing-edge during high rotation rates. The presence of laminar separation bubbles on the upper and lower surfaces was shown to dramatically influence the steady-state lift of both airfoils. Poststall characteristics are shown to be independent of airfoil geometry such that periodic vortex shedding was observed for all cases. However, the onset of deep stall is delayed with increased nondimensional pitch rate due to the delay in initial dynamic-stall vortex.
Experimental Investigation of the Structure and Dynamics of Laminar Separation Bubbles at the onset of Bursting