Micro-PIV and ELDV wind tunnel investigations of the laminar separation bubble above a helicopter blade tip

Studies of the boundary layer profile and of the characteristics of the flow velocity distribution close to the leading edge of a helicopter blade profile were conducted using embedded laser Doppler velocimetry (ELDV) and stereo particle image velocimetry (PIV). The relatively small scales of flow structures leading to dynamic stall motivated an additional 2C-PIV study in which the flow field has been measured with a relatively high spatial resolution. The feasibility of PIV measurements utilizing a mirror telescope in a wind tunnel has been demonstrated successfully. The spatial resolution of approximately 50 µm allowed a judgment on the choice of turbulence models and damping coefficients for the improvement of CFD predictions.