Modification of Airfoils Using Gurney Flaps: A Review

Abstract

Overall performance of an aircraft depends on its lift to drag ratio. Better lift to drag ratio results in better performance of an aircraft. Better lift to drag ratio is also necessary to reduce the operating cost. The fuel consumption can be reduced by improving lift to drag ratio. In order to improve this lift to drag ratio researchers try to modify the basic unit of an airplanes wing for many years. The basic unit of an airplanes wing is termed as airfoil. It is the cross section of airplanes wing. Different types of modification on airfoil are performed in order to increase its performance. Some of the examples of airfoils surface modification are vortex generators, multiple winglets, flaps, dimples etc. In this present article a special type of modification named as Gurney flap which is attached to the airfoils trailing edge to improve the overall performance will be discussed. Different experimentations both experimental and numerical have been performed by several researchers around the world to identify the effect of Gurney flaps. In this present study an attempt is taken to sum up all of those experimentations.