Sensitivity analysis of the leading global modes of the flow around a NACA 4412 airfoil

AIAA-SciTech 2022 : 3–7 January 2022, San Diego, CA

Abstract: Sensitivity of the leading global modes around a NACA 4412 airfoil is investigated nu-merically through adjoint-based methods in order to predict regions of the flow which aremost sensitive to the application of a steady force. Interestingly, the instability’s growth ratesensitivity function displays an extended region upstream of the separation bubble whereina streamwise oriented force has a net stabilizing effect. Aerodynamic performances can thusbe possibly improved by leveraging the boat-tailing effect induced by tangential jet actuatorslocalized in this particular region of the flow.