| Themes > Science > Physics > Fluid Dynamics > Flying the flag for fluid dynamics > Aerodynamics > Selected Topics of Model Aerodynamics > Turbulators > Mechanical Turbulators |
A mechanical turbulator consists of a modification of the airfoil shape, which causes large local gradients in the shear stress of the fluid, which finally cause transition. It can be attached to the surface as a straight tape strip (also called a 2D turbulator) or it can be distributed in a certain area like zig-zag tapes or single bumps, spaced equally. A different possibility, which has been used on free flight models, is a wire, which is mounted on small struts in front of the leading edge. This device is less sensitive to changes in angle of attack, but causes larger additional drag. Typical values for turbulator height on model aircraft range from 0.2 for higher Reynolds numbers to more than 1 mm for free flight models (see below for an approximate method to find a suitable turbulator height). Zig-Zag tape is used on full scale gliders too, and is available from some manufacturers in different sizes. |
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