Book Description

Summary: Tests were conducted with two typical low-drag airfoils of 90-inch chord to determine the effects of surface projections, grooves, and sanding scratches on boundary-layer transition. The Reynolds number at which a spanwise row of cylindrical projections would cause premature transition was determined for a range of Reynolds number from approximately 3 x 106 to 10 x 106. Data were obtained for projections of various sizes and chordwise locations on both low-drag airfoils. The results were analyzed on the assumption that the critical airfoil Reynolds number for a given projection was a function only of the local-flow conditions around the projection. This assumption neglected possible effects of tunnel turbulence, pressure gradient, boundary-layer Reynolds number, and the original extent of the laminar flow. The data correlated on the basis of this assumption within a range of critical airfoil Reynolds number of ±0.5 x 106 and within a range of projection height of ±0.002 inch. The tests of surface grooves and sanding scratches indicated that, for the range of Reynolds number investigated, the laminar boundary layer was much less sensitive to surface grooves and sanding scratches than to projections above the surface.