OBJECTIVE
To determine the coefficient of lift (CL) and coefficient of drag (Co) of an airfoil NACA
0015 at different angles of attack and free stream velocity using a load cell.
APPARATUS USED:
Subsonic Wind Tunnel (capacity: 0-30m/s)
o Anemometer
NACA 0015 Airfoil
Specifications:
"maximum thickness of airfoil = 22mm
chord iength = 146mm
span of airfoil = 237mm
oLoadCell
a
THEORY:
AiRFOIL
An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil ( in British English) is the shape of a wing or
blade (of a propeller, rotor or turbine) or sail as seen in cross-section.
Subsonic flight airfoils have a characteristic shape with a rounded leading edge, followed
by a sharp trailing edge oftern with asymmetric chamber. Foils of similar function designed
with water as the working fluid are called hydrofoils.
angle of attack
chord line
a camber line
elaive WInd Pper siface
culing culge
max. thickness
max. camber
Stfaite
Iuilng elye
SADXOX
AIRFOIL TERMINOLOGY:
of an
The straight line joining leading edge to the trailing edge
CHORDLINE: airfoil is called the chord line.
between
line is the locus of points midway
CAMBER LINE:The mean camber
the upper and lower surfaces.
of the longest line that can be drawn
MAXIMUM THICKNESS: The length thickness of
perpendicular to the chord line is the maximum
the airfoil.
is the angle between the chord line
ANGLEOF ATTACK:The angle of attack
and the free stream velocity vector
PLANFORMAREA: It is the maximum projected area of the wing.
distance between the
MAXIMUM CAMBER:It is the maximum perpendicular
chord line and the camber line.
IFT: Lift is defined as the component of fluid force perpendicular to the
fluid motion.
Coefficient of lift is given by,
Lift Force
C
(1/2) pUA
DRAG: Drag is defined as the component of fluid force parallel to the free
stream.
Coefficient of drag is given by,
Drag Force
Co
(1/2) pU-A
where, p= density of air; U.=free stream velocity; A Planform Area
2
Lift & Drag Forces
L= N cosd - A sinü
D= Nsin d +Acosa
Vo
D
N, A - Normal, Axial components w/r/t chord
D,L Axial, Normal components w/t/t free stream VO0
TYPES OF AIRFOIL:
chords i.e. camber line
Airfoils are symmetric about their
1.
Symmetric Airfoil: Symmetric
other.
and chord line coincide with each
Cambered Airfoil are not
known as
Asymmetric Airfoils also
2.
Asymmetric Airfoil: line do not coincide.
i.e. chord line and camber
symmetrical about chord line
Lero camber
airfoil-- Camber line =Chord lne,
Sy mmetric
no lift a t a = 0 . Angle of zero lift is also 0,
I.e. 1 = o 0.
Lift
Postive camber
Asymmetric airfoil -- Camber line above chord line:
Positive lift at a = 0. L = o
Negative camber
Negative
"Lift"
Asymmetric airfoil -- Camber line below chord iine:
Negative "lift" at a = 0 . - 00
AIRFOIL NACA 0015:
The NACA airfoil shapes for aircraft wings
developed by the National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics (NACA). The shape of the NACA airfoil is described
using a series of digits
following the word "NACA". The parameters in the numerical
code can be entered into
equations to precisely generate the cross-section of the airfoil and
calculate its properties.
Four-digit series
1. First digit describing maximum camber as
percentage of the chord.
KXX
oup3 1a.22..
Date
Lab
M u c h o n i y
Noma
AposruGoaudaam
allakhande
2. Second digit describing the distance of maximum camber from the airioil leading
edge in tens of percent's of the chord.
3. Last two digits describing maximum thickness of the airfoil as percent of the chord.
EQUATION FOR A SYMMETRICAL 4-DIGIT NACA AIRFOIL:
The formula for the shape of a NACA 00xx foil, with "xx" being replaced by the percentage
of thickness to chord, is
Ve0 029690.1200-0.3510(+0.28430101(
c i s the chord length,
Xis the position along the chord from 0 to c,
Yis the half thickness at agiven value of x (centreline to surface), and
T i s the maximum thickness as a fraction of the chord( so 100 t gives the last two
digit in the NACA 4-digit denomination.)
WIND TUNNEL:
A wind tunnel is an apparatus used in aerodynamic research to study the effect of air
moving past solid objects. A wind tunnel consists of a closed rectangular passage with the
object under test mounted in the middle.
A powerful fan system moves air past the object; the fan must have straightening vanes to
smooth the airflow.
Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles (primarily airplanes) in
free flight. The wind tunnel was envisioned as a means of reversing the usual paradigm:
instead of the air's standing still and the aircraft moving at speed through it, the same effect
would be obtained if the aircraft stood still and the air moved at speed past it. In that way a
stationary observer could study the aircraft in action, and could measure the aerodynamic
forces being imposed on the aircraft.
Fan iafca
coe
The gen tunnel is a lbw speed, open circuit wind tumnel The wind tumnel sed in cur
aboratonyhas a range ofspeed FromO=sto 30=/ Eeion s 300mX300m
The tast section is comnected to a icad c l on which the aiilsto be mourted The values
of t and drag force acting on an airfol can be read diredy o n h e lcad cel
LOAD CELE
Load cell sa transducer tihat is used to comert a fore into electrical sigral This aomersion
S indirect and happens in two stages. Through a mechanical aangement, the force being
sensed deforms a strein gauge. The strain gauge measures he defomationsen as am
electrical signal, because the strain changes he efective elecical resistance df the wire
A load cel usualy consists of four strein gauges in a Whezstone bridge conguration Loa
ell of one strain gauge(Quarter bridge) ar tao Stain gauge a f bridge) are aiso zvalabie.
The electrical signal output is typicaly in the order of a few iliots and
require
amplification by an instrumentetion ampier before it an be used. The output of the
transducer is plugged into an aigorithm to calcuate the force applied to the transdiucer
Lift Generation in an airfoil:
To understand the reason behind the
SermoulT's equation- generation af w e have to ake he
help of
BERNOULLI EQUATION:
v + pgn, = P +pPsh
Az<A
BERNOULLI EFFECT:
he phenomenon of aerodynamic lift is commonly explained by the velocity increase
causing pressure to decrease (The Bernoulli Effect) over the top surface of an airfoil and the
velocity decreases (causing pressure to increase) along the bottom surface and airfoil.
Because or pressure difference relative to atmosphere, the upper surface of the airfoil may
be called as the 'Suction Surface' and lower surface the 'Pressure Surface'.
This pressure difference gives the required lift.
Lift
Lower
P r e s s ure
SAirflow
ter
Aira
ghe
e s s ure
STALLING:
As the angle of attack is increased, the difference in pressure (Ap) between the upper
and the lower surfaces increases, causing the lift coefficient to increase until a maximum is
reached. Further increas in angle of attack producesa sudden decrease in CL. The Airfoil is
said to have stalled when C drops in this fashion.
Airfoil stall results when flow separation occurs over a major portion of upper surface
of the airfoil. As the angle of attack is increased, the stagnation point moves back along the
lower surface of the airfoil. Flow on the upper surface then must accelerate sharply to
round the nose of the airfoil. The minimum pressure becomes lower, and its location moves
forward on the upper surface. A severe adverse pressure gradient causes the flow to
separate completely from the upper surface and the airfoil stalls.
6, steady fiow
15°, stali point, maximum lit
separation point
25°
relative
Wind separated
tlow
Flowseparation due to stalling
X
OBSERVATION TABLE:
1. Between angle of attack a, lift and drag
Angle of v=12m/s v=16m/s v=20m/s v=24m/s
Re =
attack(a) Re =
Re Re
(Degrees)
ift(kg)Draglkg)Lift(ke)Draglkg)Lift(k)Draglkg)Liftke) Drag(ke)_
2. Between angle of attack a, C and Cp
Angle of v-12m/s v=16m/s v=20m/s V=24m/s
attack(a)
(Degrees)
Note: Since the frame itself contributes to the lift and drag, these values
should be subtracted from the load cell readings before filling the tables to
calculate the actual values for the airfoil.
PROCEDURE:
1. Anemometer is placed inside the wind tunnel on a support to measure the free stream
velocity of air.
2. Velocity is set to the required value with the help of speed controller of the fan motor.
3. Anemometer and support is then removed from the wind tunnel.
4. Reading of lift and drag is taken using load cell by rotating the airfoil at different angles of
attack (say 2" intervals).
5. Experiment is repeated for different free stream velocities.
GRAPHS:
1. Plot a graph between coefficient of lift
number.
C VS. Angle of attack (a) at different Reynolds
2.Plot a graph between coefficient of
drag Co VS. Angle of attack (a) at different
number. Reynolds
LIFT AND DRAG FORCES PRODUCED BY THE FRAME ONLY:
velocity(m/s)_ lift(kg)_ drag(kg)_
10 0.03 O.01
12 0.05 0.02
14 0.06 0.02
16 0.08 0.03
18 0.10 0.04
20 0.12 0.05
24
RESULT AND DISCUSsION:
While holding the free stream velocity constant and varying the angle of attack,
characteristics can be seen from the graph.
From the graph of coefficient of lift, we can conclude that initially it rises gradually and
attains a maximum value after that stalling occurs.
From the graph of coefficient of drag we can conclude that its value
as we increase the angle of attack.
keeps on increasing
AXX
