The Effects of Splitter Plates on Turbulent Boundary Layer on a Long Flat Plate Near the Trailing Edge

An experimental investigation has been made on a turbulent boundary layer near the trailing edge on a long flat plate. The flow was controlled by an additional splitter plate fitted to the trailing edge along the wake center line. The length of the splitter plate, l, was varied from a half, to five times the trailing edge thickness, h. Measurements of base pressure behind the trailing edge and of mean velocity and pressure distribution in the turbulent boundary layer on the flat plate were made under the freestream zero-pressure gradient. The absolute value of the base pressure coefficient of the long flat plate was considerably smaller than that of the short flat plate without the splitter plate. A significant increase in the base pressure coefficient was achieved with the splitter plate (l / h ≧ 1), fitted to the long flat plate. Within an inner layer in the turbulent boundary layer near the trailing edge, the mean velocity increased more than that in the upstream position in the case without the splitter plate. With the splitter plate, however, the base pressure rise made the mean velocity distribution more closely approach that of a fully-developed turbulent boundary layer.