Wake Vortex Control Using Modified Flaps

The present paper is on the experimental investigation of a potentially effective method to alleviate the strength of aircraft wake vortex. The research work was carried out in a water-towing tank which equipped with a 2-D PIV system. By using modified flaps attached to the baseline-airfoil, the Rayleigh-Ludwieg instability of the wake vortex was activated, resulting in a premature dissipation of the wake vortex. The experimental results of PIV measurement exhibited that the circulation of the wake vortex was reduced to over 50% for the optimal case at 45 wingspans downstream with suitable settings, which proved the effectiveness of the modified-flap treatment in alleviating the wake vortex under labor conditions.