Parametric study of dynamic stall flow field with synthetic jet actuation

A parametric study of the interaction between dynamic stall and a zero-net mass flux synthetic jet installed on a wing was investigated by identifying the dominant frequencies in the resulting flow field using spectral analysis. The instantaneous pressure distribution around an NACA 0020 wing was recorded by performing static and dynamic experiments using an open jet subsonic wind tunnel located at the aerodynamics laboratory of the University of New South Wales. The results obtained provided valuable insight into the interaction process. The oscillation frequency and its harmonics were identified in baseline dynamic experiments, as well as the jet frequency and offset frequencies with synthetic jet actuation. The offset frequencies, similar to beat frequencies, were found to be a dynamic effect and represented the complex and nonlinear interaction between dynamic stall and the synthetic jet. The study suggests that low amplitude synthetic jet actuation would be an effective method in enhancing the overall aerodynamic efficiency of the wing. This confirmed the viability of utilizing synthetic jets in dynamic stall control.