Linear and Nonlinear PSE for Stability Analysis of the Boundary Layer over an Airfoil

An accurate PSE code has been developed to study the stability of incompressible boundary layer over the surface of an arbitrary airfoil. The primitive variable form of the PSE are derived in the body-fitted natural coordinate system and solved by a highly accurate finite-difference method. In the present study, both effects of the basic flow nonparallelism and nonlinear mode interaction are taken into account. Comparisons show good agreement between the results of the present study and those of pervious investigators. To investigate the stability of the boundary layer over an airfoil, the linear propagation of the TS waves and the nonlinear three-dimensional subharmonic instability are analysis for the NACA 0012 airfoil. The nonlinear analysis gives the skin friction rise in the transition region.

Keywords:

PSE , stability , transition , airfoil