An Investigation of Vortex Shedding as Related to the Self-Excited Torsional Oscillation of an Airfoil

Author: Chuan, Raymond Lu-Po

Year: 1948

Degree: Engineer's thesis

Advisors: Dunn, Louis G.; Nagamatsu, Henry T.

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Aeronautics

DOI: 10.7907/6JQH-FS81

Abstract

This report covers the results of the experimental investigation of the self-excited torsional oscillation of a NACA 0006 airfoil suspended elastically. The relationship between the torsional oscillation and the shedding of vortices was investigated for this airfoil.

Two types of oscillation phenomena were found in the investigation. One type, exhibited by cases with angles of attack just above stall, persisted with increasing velocity without reaching any apparent limit within the range of velocity attainable in the present wind-tunnel. The other type, exhibited by cases with higher angles of attack, only showed self-excited oscillations in a certain range of velocity, the range decreasing with increasing angle of attack.

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