Proper Orthogonal Decomposition of a wing-tip vortex

The vortex behind a NACA0012 wing profile was experimentally studied in a towing tank at
University of Malaga. The wingtip includes a synthetic jet that acts as an active flow controller. The
efficiency of this synthetic jet was studied for a variety of frequencies and amplitudes for the case
of Reynolds number 40×10³. Particle Image Velocimetry was used to characterize the velocity
field at different distances behind the wing and, thus, the created wake. Furthermore, the results
were analyzed using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition, which helps to characterize the different
flow dynamics. The influence of the various jet configurations on the principal modes was also
explored.