Unsteady Aerodynamic Forcing Functions: A Comparison Between Linear Theory and Experiment

The unsteady flow field generated by rotating rows of perforated plates and airfoil cascades is mathematically split into vortical and potential components using two methods, one relying entirely on velocity data and the other utilizing both velocity and unsteady static pressure data. The propagation and decay of these split flow perturbations are then examined and compared to linear theory predictions. The perforated plate gusts closely resemble linear theory vortical gusts. Both splitting methods indicate that they are dominantly vortical gusts with insignificant unsteady static pressure perturbations. The airfoil gusts resemble linear theory combined vortical and potential gusts. The recombined airfoil gusts using the vortical and potential components calculated by the method using only unsteady velocity data do not necessarily resemble the measured gusts, nor do they behave axially as predicted by linear theory. The recombined airfoil gusts using the linear theory components calculated by the method using both unsteady velocity and unsteady static pressure data do resemble the measured gusts and behave axially as predicted by linear theory, with the vortical component propagating unattenuated and the potential component decaying at the rate predicted by linear theory.