The Effect of Planform Shapes on the Evolution of Bound Circulation of a Finite Wing Near an Interface

The evolution of circulation for a finite wing is examined near a water-to-air interface with a straight and swept wing of NACA 0015 profile with a chord length of 100 mm and an aspect ratio of 4. Main objectives for this research includes determining the impact of the planform shapes on the evolution of fluid flow around the wing and its subsequent effects on lift force. Starting submerged and at rest, the wing is brought to a constant speed before egressing through the surface of the water. A force sensor is utilized to capture force data, while a camera and laser are used to capture images for Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Along with planform variation, the angle of attack of the wing and speed at which it is towed is also varied. The resulting lift interface phenomena can then be compared to the fluid flow, vortex formation, and water surface deformation to find trends, while also investigating the physical nature of the interface phenomena.