Characterization of the Flow Separation of a Variable Camber Airfoil

An experimental investigation is carried out to study the flow separation behaviors of a variable camber airfoil. The aerodynamic load measurements and related flow visualization show that there are two types of stalls caused by the deformation on the camber: the leading-edge stall and the trailing-edge stall. Static measurements of aerodynamic force show a drastic leading-edge stall, while the serial measurements on an airfoil with camber deformation illustrate a trailing-edge stall and gradual bending-over on the aerodynamic coefficient curve. Under flow separation circumstances, the flow structure is related not only to current boundary conditions, but also the previous flow characteristics, so the quasi-steady aerodynamic characteristics are significantly distinct from those of the static measurements.