On active control of laminar–turbulent transition on two-dimensional wings

This paper gives an overview of drag reduction on aerofoils by means of active control of Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves. Wind-tunnel experiments at Mach numbers of up to M x =0.42 and model Reynolds numbers of up to Re c =2×10 6 , as well as in-flight experiments on a wing glove at Mach numbers of M <0.1 and at a Reynolds number of Re c =2.4×10 6 , are presented. Surface hot wires were used to detect the linearly growing TS waves in the transitional boundary layer. Different types of voice-coil- and piezo-driven membrane actuators, as well as active-wall actuators, located between the reference and error sensors, were demonstrated to be effective in introducing counter-waves into the boundary layer to cancel the travelling TS waves. A control algorithm based on the filtered- x least mean square (FxLMS) approach was employed for in-flight and high-speed wind-tunnel experiments. A model-predictive control algorithm was tested in low-speed experiments on an active-wall actuator system. For the in-flight experiments, a reduction of up to 12 dB (75% TS amplitude) was accomplished in the TS frequency range between 200 and 600 Hz. A significant reduction of up to 20 dB (90% TS amplitude) in the flow disturbance amplitude was achieved in high-speed wind-tunnel experiments in the fundamental TS frequency range between 3 and 8 kHz. A downstream shift of the laminar–turbulent transition of up to seven TS wavelengths is presented. The cascaded sensor–actuator arrangement given by Sturzebecher & Nitsche in 2003 for low-speed wind-tunnel experiments was able to shift the transition Δ x =240 mm (18% x / c ) downstream by a TS amplitude reduction of 96 per cent (30 dB). By using an active-wall actuator, which is much shorter than the cascaded system, a transition delay of seven TS wavelengths (16 dB TS amplitude reduction) was reached.