The Wingtip Vortex of a Dimpled Wing With an Endplate

Abstract

Dimples used as sub-boundary layer vortex generators have been shown to reduce wake size at large angles of incidence. The effect these dimples have on wingtip vortices with an endplate is measured via laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) on an inverted Tyrrell026 airfoil (ReC = 0.5 × 105 and chord = 0.075 m) in ground effect in order to determine the flow characteristics for this configuration and to see if previous measurements were performed in a thinner part of the wake due to any potential wake waviness. The strength of the wingtip vortex for the dimpled wing is 10% higher than the “clean” wing immediately downstream. The clean wing has large region of high turbulence throughout the wake, and the dimples reduce this by 50%. The net result is that dimples drastically improve the flow in the wake of the wing and endplate.