Co-Rotating Tip Vortex Experimental Data

Parent Publication: W J Devenport, C M Vogel and J S Zsoldos, "Flow Structure Produced By the Interaction and Merger of a Pair of Co-Rotating Wing-Tip Vortices", Journal of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 394, pp. 357-377, 1999.

For a summary description of this work see "Co-rotating tip-vortex pair " under "Projects", or click here. To download a zipped up copy the experimental data (data.zip) from this study click here. Total file size is around 285KBytes zipped and 968KBytes extracted.

Data format

Velocity measurements were made at two streamwise locations 10, 15, 22 and 30 chordlengths downstream of the generating wings. At each location a sequence of radial profiles was measured through each vortex, so as to form approximately polar grids so as to reveal the whole cross section of the tip vortex flow and the properties of the un-rolled-up sections of the wake. The following table lists the name of the data files containing the traverses made at x/c=10 along with the start and end locations of each profile.
Filename Start Point End Point
y/c z/c y/c z/c
089c.dat
0.349
-1.072
0.065
0.058
090c.dat
0.810
-0.817
0.014
0.004
091c.dat
1.066
-0.373
-0.055
-0.054
092c.dat
1.070
0.138
-0.179
-0.176
093c.dat
0.813
0.599
-0.623
-0.793
094c.dat
0.166
0.186
-0.186
-1.052
096c.dat
-0.797
0.829
-0.001
0.008
097c.dat
-1.056
0.384
0.065
0.066
098c.dat
-1.068
-0.139
0.180
0.175
099c.dat
-0.819
-0.593
0.617
0.799
100c.dat
0.172
1.069
-0.180
-0.169
101c.dat
0.722
0.715
-0.714
-0.677
102b.dat
2.500
0.122
2.500
0.629

The following figure also shows the profile names and locations at x/c=10

The following table lists the name of the data files containing the traverses made at x/c=15 along with the start and end locations of each profile.
Filename
Start Point
End Point
y/c
z/c
y/c
z/c
107c.dat
1.095
-0.260
-1.042
0.444
108c.dat
1.130
0.326
-0.203
0.047
109c.dat
0.865
0.842
-0.091
-0.013
110c.dat
0.377
1.160
-0.017
-0.038
111c.dat
-0.203
1.189
0.059
-0.066
112c.dat
-0.734
0.935
0.197
-0.107
113c.dat
-1.114
0.253
1.024
-0.451
115c.dat
-1.139
-0.337
0.220
-0.053
116c.dat
-0.883
-0.853
0.073
0.001
117c.dat
-0.388
-1.164
0.006
0.034
118c.dat
0.194
-1.197
-0.069
0.058
119c.dat
0.717
-0.946
-0.214
0.096
120c.dat
1.072
-0.348
-1.070
0.356
121c.dat
2.500
0.300
2.500
0.862

The following figure also shows the profile names and locations at x/c=15

 

The following table lists the name of the data files containing the traverses made at x/c=22 along with the start and end locations of each profile.
Filename
Start Point
End Point
y/c
z/c
y/c
z/c
126b.dat
0.004
-1.507
0.004
1.500
128b.dat
0.526
-1.413
-0.449
1.265
129b.dat
0.981
-1.146
-0.948
1.150
130b.dat
1.315
-0.746
-1.283
0.754
131b.dat
1.500
-0.266
-1.306
0.228
132b.dat
1.496
0.252
-1.459
-0.269
133b.dat
1.302
0.750
-1.296
-0.750
134b.dat
0.961
1.153
-0.967
-1.150
136b.dat
0.514
1.397
-0.031
-0.102
137b.dat
-0.023
-0.112
-0.499
-1.422
141b.dat
2.500
0.435
2.500
1.190
The following figure also shows the profile names and locations at x/c=22

The following table lists the name of the data files containing the traverses made at x/c=30 along with the start and end locations of each profile.
Filename
Start Point
End Point
y/c
z/c
y/c
z/c
056b.dat
-0.003
1.509
-0.003
-1.349
057b.dat
-0.751
1.319
0.614
-1.040
058b.dat
-1.292
0.767
1.183
-0.662
060b.dat
0.754
1.307
-0.610
-1.060
061b.dat
1.304
0.763
-1.170
-0.666
062b.dat
1.489
0.010
-1.369
0.010
063b.dat
2.500
0.665
2.500
1.380

The following figure also shows the profile names and locations at x/c=30

 

The files referred to are ASCII data files each with 25 columns. For an explanation of the conditions and symbols see the parent publication (Devenport et al., 1996). The following table lists the contents of each column.
Column number Variable
1 Unused or x/c
2, 3 y/c, z/c respectively
4 Free-stream velocity (m/s) Uinf
5 Reynolds number based on chord Rec
6 Flow temperature (deg. F)
7-9 Velocity components U, V, W respectively, normalized on free stream velocity
10-15 Turbulence stresses u2, v2, w2, uv, vw, uw respectively, normalized using free-stream velocity
16-25 Triple products u3, v3, w3, u2v, uv2, v2w, w2v,u2w, uw2, uvw respectively, normalized on free-stream velocity

The coordinate system used here is defined in figure 1. x is measured downstream from the leading edge of the wing tip, y inboard parallel to the wing span and z completes a right handed system. Coordinates y and z are measured from the apparent vortex center. Velocity components U, V and W are defined in the directions of x, y and z respectively.

None of these measurements are corrected for the effects of wandering which were significant in and immediately surrounding the vortex cores. See Devenport et al. (1999) for details on the likely magnitude of errors.

Uncertainties in the measurements are given in table 3 of Devenport W J, Rife M C, Liapis S I and Follin G J, "The structure and development of a wing-tip vortex", Journal of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 312, pp 67-106.

Please direct any questions or comments concerning the data or other aspects of this work to William Devenport at devenport@aoe.vt.edu.