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This paper conducts experimental study and numerical large eddy simulation for the drag reduction effect of jet boat-tail passive flow control on bluff body models. The jet boat-tail for bluff bodies operates by surrounding a converging duct around the end of a bluff body where the base surface is located. The duct captures free stream and forms a high speed jet angled toward the center of the bluff body base surface circumferentially to have the effect of a boat tail. A rectangular prism bluff body representative of various motor vehicle shapes such as trucks, vans, SUVs is used in this study. The numerical Large Eddy Simulation shows that the jet boat-tail sucks in the forebody boundary layer due to the low base pressure and significantly thins the boundary layer. The jet interacts with the shear layer and creates large vortex structures that entrain the freestream to base flow and energize it.

This study is focused on the detailed experimental investigation of jet boat-tail (JBT) passive flow control bluff body models to reduce the base pressure drag. The JBT technique is employed through an open inlet at the leading edge of the bluff body along with a circumferential jet at the trailing edge in order to energize the base flow using the high kinetic energy flow from freestream. As a consequence, entrainment of the main flow into base flow region is initiated earlier downstream. A reduction in the turbulent fluctuation of the wake can be observed in addition to a decrease of the recirculation region velocity. Using 2D/3C Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), two models with different inlet sizes are tested. The large flow rate model is designed with an inlet area 4.7 times greater than the other JBT prototype. The wind tunnel experimental results show a substantial reduction in the wake width and depth for the two models, which indicates a significant drag reduction.