Abstract
Many studies on unsteady flow at low Reynolds number regions have been carried out with experimental and numerical approaches. Especially, the flow field behind unsteady airfoil has attracted significant attentions in bio-hydrodynamics for the need to understand the propulsion mechanisms of aquatic animals, birds and insects in recent years. Moreover, Micro-Air-Vehicle (MAV) and micro flight robots with these mechanisms are also being developed actively. We have visualized detailed wake structures behind rigid and elastic unsteady airfoils using PIV measurements. However, impacts of elasticity on a flow field and differences from a flow field in the wake of a rigid airfoil have not been clarified yet. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the detailed vortex flow structure near the wall of the heaving airfoil, NACA0010. The vortex flow developed near the wall of the heaving airfoil was clarified using particular airfoil with some pinholes.
