LIFT AND DRAG OF YAWED ELLIPTICAL

1
LIFT AND DRAG OF YAWED ELLIPTICAL CAVITIES WITH
VARYING DEPTHS
Background
Flow Direction
Cavities are a special type of surface
irregularity. Cavities can cause unwanted drag
and noise which may resonate the entire
structure. Drag reduction is extremely important
in aerodynamic applications.
Yawed Cavity
Hot-Wires
Experimental setup
Objective
To examine the effects of yaw angle and cavity
depth on the resulting flow fields of 21
elliptical planform cavities. To identify high
lift and drag configurations for design purposes.

Experimental variables
2
Research Carried Out
The cavity was tested in a wind tunnel setup with
a turbulent approaching boundary layer. Surface
pressure measurements along with wake velocity
measurements, using hot-wire anemometry was
completed.
Net lift coefficient due to presence of cavity
Key Findings
Surface pressure contours indicated shear layer
reattachment and distinct vortex structures
inside the cavity volume. Trends in lift and drag
are similar to cavities of rectangular planform
areas.
Net drag coefficient due to presence of cavity