The Effect of Passive Boundary-Layer Fences on Delta Wing Performance at Low Reynolds Number

The effect of passive boundary-layer fences (BLF) on performance is evaluated on a NACA 0012 delta wing (Croot = 14.4in, Ctip = 2.8in, Sweep Angle= 45deg, b = 23.2in)) at a Reynolds number of Re = 5.0 x105 based on the root chord. The fence locations of 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% were tested at 45mph, and the 70% and 80% were also tested at 60mph. The addition of a fence at 60%, 70% and 80% showed improvements in the maximum lift coefficient and higher stall angles. The 50% and 60% locations showed a beneficial delay in pitching moment shift, while the 70% and 80% locations showed a degraded performance in pitching moment shift. Past studies with a fence at 70% on a swept rectangular wing have shown improvements in the maximum lift coefficient, higher stall angles, and delays in pitching moment shifts at certain fence locations. The data acquisition used in this study was a six-component load cell to determine aerodynamic performance through lift, drag, pitching moments. The data collected on passive boundary-layer fences served as the first step of a larger investigation involving active flow control.