Investigation of the Propeller Slipstream with Particle Image Velocimetry

Abstract

The flow around an 8-bladed propeller is analyzed using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in the Airbus Low Speed Wind Tunnel Facility in Bremen, Germany. The propeller is mounted on a half-model equipped with two propellers with opposing rotation directions, where only the outboard propeller is investigated. In particular, the development of the slipstream over the wing is investigated with PIV derived variables such as mean velocities, fluctuations and turbulent kinetic energy. A detailed description of the slipstream returns valuable information on areas with separation. For two cases with no thrust (C_T = 0) and with thrust (C_T = 0.1) several angles of attack in several planes are measured. It allows for the analysis of parametric cases: firstly, a comparison between the thrust and no thrust cases and, secondly, the effect of an increasing angle of attack. It is found that at the thrust cases, for higher angles of attack, vortices are formed due to interactions in the boundary layer.