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• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

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It is by now well known that the transition from laminar to turbulent flow can be delayed by dampening the Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves, which decreases the overall skin friction drag of an airflow over a streamlined body. Miniature Vortex Generators (MVGs) are used to create a pair of counterrotating vortices in the streamwise direction, which can have a stabilizing effect on the growth of the TS waves. Up until now, most research has been done on MVGs mounted on a flat plate, where can be concluded that MVGs are effective. This study expands upon this by looking at more realistic flow setups, most notably curved surfaces like airfoils. The main difference is the presence of a pressure gradient. Therefore, this study aims to characterise the influence of pressure gradients on MVGs. First the location of the transition point on an airfoil without MVGs was investigated by 2D CFD simulations using both Direct Numerical Simulation and RANS models. Velocity profiles were also extracted from these results to further run more detailed 3D simulations with MVGs present. These 3D simulations analyse the near field around the MVGs, focusing mainly on characterising vortex parameters such as the location of the vortex centre and the strength of the vortices. Results show that there is a significant effect on the vortex production when MVGs are subject to pressure gradients. Both the location of the vortex centre and the vortex strength get influenced by the presence of a pressure gradient, as well as the evolution of the vortices downstream.