Vortical Optimization of Shock-Induced Separation in a Natural Laminar Flow Airfoil Operating at Off-Design Conditions

This study investigates active flow control via vortical excitation on transonic shockboundary layer interactions (SBLI) over a natural laminar airfoil using implicit large eddy simulations on an orthogonal grid. The SHM1 Honda jet airfoil is analyzed at the following flow parameters i.e., Mach number (M∞) = 0.78, angle of attack (α) = 0.38°, and Reynolds number (Re) = 8×10⁶ resulting in the formation of wedge-shaped and normal shocks that interact with the underlying boundary layer on the suction side of the airfoil. The vortical excitation alters the flow dynamics by inducing harmonic vortical perturbations within the boundary layer.