# Turbulator

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{{short description|Device on an aircraft surface to induce turbulence}}
[[File:Grob G 102 Astir CS.jpg|thumb|right|[Grob G 102 Astir](/source/Grob_G_102_Astir) prototype with turbulator tape under the wing]]
A '''turbulator''' is a device that turns a [laminar](/source/laminar_flow) [boundary layer](/source/boundary_layer) into a [turbulent](/source/turbulence) boundary layer.

==Device==
Turbulent flow can be desired on parts of the surface of an [aircraft wing](/source/aircraft_wing) ([airfoil](/source/airfoil)) or in industrial applications such as [heat exchanger](/source/heat_exchanger)s and the mixing of fluids. The term “turbulator” is applied to a variety of applications and is used as a derivative of the word turbulent. However, the word has no commonly accepted technical or scientific meaning. It has been approved as a trademark in the U.S. and other countries in conjunction with machine parts used within rotating drums, [sterilizers](/source/sterilizers), heat transfer ovens, mixing and [pelletizing](/source/pelletizing) machines, and air [destratification](/source/Thermal_destratification) fans for horticultural and agricultural uses, among others.

In [gliders](/source/glider_(sailplane)) the turbulator is often a thin zig-zag strip that is placed on the lower side of the wing and sometimes on the [vertical stabilizer](/source/vertical_stabilizer).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Maughmer |first1=Mark D. |last2=Swan |first2=Timothy S. |last3=Willits |first3=Steven M. |title=Design and Testing of a Winglet Airfoil for Low-Speed Aircraft |journal=Journal of Aircraft |date=July 2002 |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=654–661 |doi=10.2514/2.2978|url=http://www.aero.us.es/adesign/Documentation/AIAA_2001_2478.pdf }}</ref>
[[File:FT742-DM50 ultrasonic wind sensor with turbulators.jpg|thumb|right|FT742-DM50 [ultrasonic](/source/ultrasonic) [wind sensor](/source/wind_sensor) using turbulators to condition the airflow]]
In wind sensors ([anemometers](/source/anemometers)), the use of turbulators reduces inaccuracies in the measurement of wind speed caused by the unpredictable switching between laminar flow and turbulent flow. Therefore the calibration of the wind sensor can be accomplished more accurately. Since wind direction can be calculated from a number of wind speed measurements, the measurement of the wind direction is also improved.<ref>UK Patent GB2542354 Wind Sensor Housing. Inventor: Robin Strachan, Proprietor: FT Technologies Ltd. https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-publication-getPDF.pdf?PatentNo=GB2542354&DocType=B&JournalNumber=6771</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons|Category:Turbulators|Turbulators}}
*[Aerodynamics](/source/Aerodynamics)
*[Boundary layer control](/source/Boundary_layer_control)
*[Circulation control wing](/source/Circulation_control_wing)
*[Vortex generator](/source/Vortex_generator)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Turbulence
Category:Aerodynamics
Category:Aircraft wing design

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Turbulator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbulator) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbulator?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.