Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

ISSN: 2278-0181
Confcall - 2018 Conference Proceedings

Analysis of Airfoil Flow Pattern using CFD

V. Gayathri Kanimozhi,
Department of Aeronautical Engineering,
Parisutham Institute of Technology
and Science, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract— In this paper, Flow pattern of airfoil over two- basic dissimilarities between symmetric and asymmetric
dimensional subsonic flow at a various angle of attacks aerofoil like at zero degree angle of attack, Asymmetric
operating at Reynolds’s number is obtained. Analysis on the airfoils can generate lift, while a frequent inverted flights
airfoil profile is carried out to find the values of CD and CL suits symmetric airfoil as in the case of an aerobatic
at different values of angle of attack.The result shown by
airplane. Thus without boundary layer separation, we can
CFD has closely agreed with experiment result, thus CFD is
a mature tool to predict the performance of test section at use various angles. Subsonic airfoils have a round leading
any angle of attack. edge around which it is naturally insensitive to angle of
attack [2].
Keywords— Flow separation, angle of attack, CFD, coefficient
of lift and coefficient of drag, pressure coefficient etc.

I. INTRODUCTION

It is fact of common experience that a body in motion

through a fluid experiences a resultant force mainly a
resistance to a motion. A class of body exists, for which
the component of resultant force normal to the direction
of motion is many times greater than the component
resisting the motion
Fig 1. Airfoil Geometry
[1]. An airfoil is a streamlined body found in airplanes,
propellers, turbines and many other applications. When an The point at front of the airfoil that has maximum
airfoil body passing through any fluid it produces an curvature is known as a Leading edge. The trailing edge is
aerodynamic force which is due to pressure distribution defined as the point of minimum curvature at the rear of
over the body surface and shear stress distribution over the airfoil. The straight line joining the leading edge and
the body surface. This aerodynamic force can be resolved trailing edge of airfoil section is chord line. Chamber line
into two components known as lift and drag. The force is the locus of point’s midway between the upper and
which acts in perpendicular to the direction of motion is lower surface of an airfoil. The Angle of attack is
called as lift force, and the force which is parallel to the measured by taking a difference between free stream
direction of motion is called as drag force. Lift is velocity and chord line. It is the ratio of a span of an
generated by aerofoil primarily depends upon surface area aerofoil to the chord length of an aerofoil is called as the
and angle of attack. The drag force mainly depends upon Aspect ratio.
the body surface and fluid which is flows over it. This lift
and drag force are obtained with the help of wind tunnel. III. COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD)
A wind tunnel is a machine which used in aerodynamic
research to study the effects of air moving on solid Computational Fluid Dynamics is a branch of fluid
objects. A wind tunnel consists of a tubular passage with mechanics that analyze problems involving fluid flow by
the object under test mounted in the middle. Air is then using numerical analysis and data structure. The
moving past the object by a powerful fan system or other interaction of liquid and gases with a surface defined by
means. The test object often called a wind tunnel model, boundary condition are solved with the help of computers,
is instrumented with suitable sensors to measure which performs its calculations. CFD is commonly
aerodynamic forces, pressure distribution, or other accepted as referring to the board topic encompassing the
aerodynamics-related characteristics. The advance in numerical solution, by computational methods, of the
computational fluid dynamics modeling on a high speed governing equations which describe fluid flow, the set of
digital computer has reduced the demand for wind tunnel Navier-stokes equation, continuity and any additional
testing. However, CFD results are still not completely conservation equation like energy or species
reliable and wind tunnels are used to verify CFD concentration. CFD is considered as a bridge between the
predictions. pure experiment and pure theory. Computational fluid
II. GEOMETRY dynamics predict the performance of a system before
In aerodynamics, Airfoil design is a major facet.
Different flight regimes show different results. There are

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Confcall - 2018 Conference Proceedings

installing it in real life. CFD predict which design changes A typical graph of coefficient of lift against the angle of
are most crucial to enhance the performance. Moreover, attack of the airfoil section is studied. One of the first
there are several unique advantages of CFD over things noticed is the fact that at an angle of attack of 0°,
experimental-based fluid system design. there is a positive coefficient of lift, and, hence, positive
lift. One must move to a negative angle of attack to obtain
• CFD provides more detail and comprehensive zero lift coefficients. It will be remembered that this angle
information. is called the angle of zero lift. A symmetric airfoil was
shown to have an angle of zero lift equal to 0° as might be
• Ability to study system under zero hazardous conditions expected. From the diagram we can see that as an angle of
at and beyond their normal performance limits. attack increased coefficient of lift associated with it is
also increases up to a certain maximum point known as a
• Power consumption of CFD is low as compared to a stall angle. Above this angle, however, the lift coefficient
wind tunnel. reaches a peak and then declines. The angle at which the
lift coefficient (or lift) reaches a maximum is called the
CFD Analysis of temperature, velocity, and chemical stall angle. Beyond the stall angle, one may state that the
concentration distribution can help an engineer to airfoil is stalled and a remarkable change in the flow
understand the problem correctly and provide ideas for pattern has occurred.
getting the best resolution.
Originally the value of drag coefficient is zero at zero
IV. ANGLE OF ATTACK degree angle of attack. But then as we increase an angle
of attack drag coefficient will also increase before and
When you stretch your arm out through window of car after stall condition occurs. Minimum drag coefficient
which moves at high speed, you can feel that your arm occurs at a small positive angle of attack corresponding to
pull back while colliding with oncoming air and when a positive lift coefficient and builds only gradually at the
you hold your hand outside of window in parallel to the lower angles. Near to the stall angle, C_D increase rapidly
direction of road and just inclined it in certain angle, you because the greater amount of turbulent and separated
feel like your hand push upward it is because of oncoming flow occurred.
air strikes at your hand. Angle Of Attack is the angle
between the reference line of a body and relative wind or V. FLOW SAPERATION
oncoming air [3]. On an airfoil such as one on a wind All solid objects travelling through fluid experience
turbine, it is the angle between the chord line and relative viscous forces occur in the layer of fluid close to the solid
wind vector. The relation between an angle of attack, the surface which acquires a boundary layer of fluid around
coefficient of lift and coefficient of drag is as follows: them. Boundary layers can be in the form of laminar or
turbulent. By calculating the Reynolds number of the
local flow conditions we can make a decision that the
flow is laminar or turbulent. When the boundary layer
travels far enough against an adverse pressure gradient
and at the same time the speed of the boundary layer
relative to the object falls almost to zero then Flow
separation occurs. In aerodynamics, flow separation can
often result in increased drag. For this reason, much effort
and research have gone into the design of aerodynamic
and hydrodynamic surfaces which delay flow separation
and keep the local flow attached for as long as possible.

VI. OPERATING PARAMETERS

Analysis on the airfoil profile is carried out to find the
Fig 2. Variation of Angle of attack vs Coefficient of Lift
values of CD and CL at different values of angle of attack
.Here we are going to analyse the Airfoil of Chord Length
160 mm using CFD. For that we take some initial
assumptions or boundary conditions for our problem
which are as follows.
a) Span of airfoil = 0.3 m
b) Density of air = 1.208 kg/m3
c) Length of airfoil = 0.16 m
d) Velocity of wind = 30.48 m/s
e) Fluid = Air as ideal
f) Operation Pressure = 13 bar
Fig 3. Variation in Angle of attack vs Coefficient of Drag

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Confcall - 2018 Conference Proceedings

MESH GENERATION

Today there is numerous analysis software which is

getting used for geometry-integrated mesh generation and
post-processing purpose. ANSYS ICEM CFD has desired
effect that it keeps close relationship with geometry
during mesh generation and post-processing. From
geometry to mesh generation in an analysis, it provides
refined geometry acquisition, mesh generation, post-
processing and mesh optimization tools. The mesh
generation properties in ICEM CFD offers from, a
capability to parametrically create grids from geometry in
multi-block structured, unstructured hexahedral,
tetrahedral, hybrid grids consisting of hexahedral,
tetrahedral, pyramidal and prismatic cells; and Cartesian
grid formats combined with boundary conditions.

Fig 6. Contour of static pressure at 14 Degree AOA

Above figure shows pressure distribution on the upper

and lower surface of airfoil for 14º angle of attack. The
value of lift coefficient is maximum at this angle of
attack. Hence it is called as angle of attack. Value of lift
coefficient is 0.2095. Maximum lift is due to maximum
pressure difference on the upper and lower surface of the
airfoil.

Fig 4 . Mesh generation

RESULTS

We have plotted the pressure contours as well as velocity

contours for chord length of 0.16 m and changing the
values of angle of attack. Following are the cases at the
stall angle and few degrees before and after it.

a) Pressure Contours

Next Figure shows pressure distribution on the upper and

lower surface of airfoil for 10º angle of attack. There is
positive pressure on the upper surface and negative
pressure on the lower surface. Value of lift coefficient is
0.17769. Fig 7. Contours of pressure at 16 Degree AOA

Above figure shows pressure distribution on the upper

and lower surface of airfoil for 16º angle of attack. There
is positive pressure on the upper surface and negative
pressure on the lower surface. Value of lift coefficient is
0.08087.It is observed that lift generated decreases after
the stall angle.

Fig 5. Contour of static pressure at 10 Degree AOA

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Confcall - 2018 Conference Proceedings

b) Velocity Contours
And by conducting experiment on wind tunnel we
obtained values of coefficient of lift and drag and
compare it with values obtained from CFD to show that
how precise CFD is. We obtain values of coefficient of
Lift and Drag by using CFD and the values are as follows:

Angle Of Attack CL CD
-2 -0.65889 0.01594

0 -0.47815 0.017426

2 -018890 0.01557
Fig 8. Contour of velocity magnitude at 10º AOA
5 0.17141 0.03884
Above figure shows the magnitude of velocity contour
over an airfoils for 10º angle of attack. It is seen that flow 8 0.49431 0.013542
separation takes place close to trailing edge. Hence lift
10 0.69852 0.013031
generated is more compared to 16º angle of attack.
13 0.80013 0.012667

14 0.90890 0.12790

15 0.92026 0.12532

16 0.87554 0.04377

Here we obtain values of coefficient of Lift and Drag

experimentally and are as follows:

Angle of Area of Lift Drag CL CD CL/ CD

attack Airfoil( force force
(α) A m 2) (FL) (FD)

-2 0.048 -2.53 1 -0. 0939 0.01642 -5.72

Fig 9.Contour of velocity magnitude at 14º AOA
0 0.048 0 1 0 0.01642 0
Above figure shows the magnitude of velocity contour
over an airfoil for 14º angle of attack. It is seen that flow 5 0.048 4 1 0.2532 0.01642 5.21
is streamlined op to the trailing surface. Flow separation
8 0.048 5 1 0.4 0.01642 8.07
is very less. Hence, maximum lift is generated.
10 0.048 6 1 0.5353 0.01642 10.65

12 0.048 7 1 0.6784 0.01642 12.01

14 0.048 8 1 0.8122 0.01642 12.27

15 0.048 6 1 0.8924 0.01642 5.89

16 0.048 6 1 0.8491 0.01642 4.84

Finally after comparing both of the above charts we can

say that CFD is mature tool to predict the performance of
airfoil section. CFD showed precise results which also
obtain from experimentally.
Fig 10. Contour of velocity magnitude at 16º AOA

Above figure shows the magnitude of velocity contour

over an airfoil for 16º angle of attack. It is seen that flow
separation takes place away from the trailing edge. Hence
lift generated is less compared to 16º angle of attack.

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
Confcall - 2018 Conference Proceedings

Angle Of CL by software CL by experimental % error

Attack REFERENCES
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10 0.69852 0.5353 0.233 [2] Ashish Kadve, Dr. Prashant Sharma, and Abhishek Patel.
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[4] Engineering, February 2016, Volume 3, Issue 5, PP 178-183.
[5] P. B. Makwana, J. J. Makadiya, “CFD Analysis of Airfoil at
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Research and Technology, April 2014, ISSN 2278-0181
Volume 3, Issue 4, PP 430-437.
The objective of the work was to understand the flow [6] Anderson R F, the Aerodynamic Characteristics of Six
pattern over an airfoil and study the stalling effect using Commonly Used Airfoils over a Large Range of Angle of
CFD. From the present study, it is seen that CFD Attack, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, 1931.
contributes to the significant understanding of flow
pattern over an airfoil. The following are the important
conclusions drawn from the studies carried out in the
present work.

1) For airfoil with chord length 160 mm, the coefficient

of lift increases from -0.47815 for 0° to 1.2026 for 15°
angles of attack and again decreases to 0.8754 for 16°.
2) The values of CD and CL obtained from CFD are close
to those obtained from wind tunnel test. The small
variation is due to the leakage losses in the wind tunnel.
3) The maximum value of lift coefficient is obtained at
the stall angle. The value of maximum lift goes on
increasing with increasing the cord length.
4) After the stall angle, the flow separation occurs away
from the trailing edge which reduces the lift generated.

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