CFD ANALYSIS OF FLOW OVER AN AIRFOIL SIMULATION USING SOLIDWORKS
AIM: To analyze the flow over a NACA0017 airfoil For different angle of attacks and to compare the lift and drag forces.
OBJECTIVES:
1) To do a CFD analysis of a NACA0017 airfoil.
2) Use different different angle of attacks for the airfoil as 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 degrees.
3) Run the flow analysis to obtain Velocity contour and the drag force as well as lift force plots.
4) Run the study for the time for which a constant behaviour of drag force is achieved.
NACA AIRFOIL:
> The NACA airfoils are airfoil shapes for aircraft wings developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronoutics (NACA). The shape of the NACA airfoils 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.
> In this project a NACA0017 airfoil is used for analysis. The Data sheet of the airfoil is readily available from which the data points are converted into a smooth curve in Solidworks.
INPUT PARAMETERS:
1) External surface analysis is done for time dependent condition having total time = 5 sec. & Output time steps = 1 sec.
2) Air is selected as the flow component having 600 m/s velocity in the X direction.
3) The Computation domain is enlarged by 5 times in chord for input & 10 times in chord for output.
4) Surface goals selected as Force (X) & Force (Y) for external face.
5) Then the model is rotated by 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 degrees as the different conditions to analyze the effect of rotation.
> NOTE: The simulation is run upto when the constant behaviour of drag force is achieved.
RESULT's:
1) Angle of Attack = 0 degree:
VELOCITY:
DRAG FORCE:
LIFT FORCE:
DATA OBTAINED FROM PLOTS:
| Goal Name | Unit | Value | Averaged Value | Minimum Value | Maximum Value | Progress [%] | Use In Convergence | Delta | Criteria |
| SG Force (X) 1 | [N] | 316.4241431 | 317.9905772 | 316.4241431 | 318.6625612 | 100 | Yes | 2.238418133 | 5.428512384 |
| SG Force (Y) 1 | [N] | -0.29215742 | 0.198234692 | -0.455213654 | 0.811555949 | 21 | Yes | 0.181230509 | 0.038179708 |
2) Angle of Attack = 2 degree:
VELOCITY:
DRAG FORCE:
LIFT FORCE:
DATA OBTAINED FROM PLOTS:
| Goal Name | Unit | Value | Averaged Value | Minimum Value | Maximum Value | Progress [%] | Use In Convergence | Delta | Criteria |
| Goal Plot 1 | [N] | 347.6984811 | 346.6718662 | 343.3086255 | 347.8715382 | 100 | Yes | 4.562912694 | 5.925406041 |
| Goal Plot 2 | [N] | -751.9845865 | -723.3781202 | -751.9845865 | -692.9948883 | 10.8 | Yes | 56.73294998 | 6.18052434 |
3) Angle of Attack = 4 degree:
VELOCITY:
DRAG FORCE:
LIFT FORCE:
DATA OBTAINED FROM PLOTS:
| Goal Name | Unit | Value | Averaged Value | Minimum Value | Maximum Value | Progress [%] | Use In Convergence | Delta | Criteria |
| SG Force (X) 1 | [N] | 421.3503479 | 420.6137584 | 417.1060417 | 422.055905 | 100 | Yes | 4.949863293 | 6.960794735 |
| SG Force (Y) 1 | [N] | -1541.16493 | -1486.070388 | -1541.164934 | -1422.269631 | 12.6 | Yes | 118.8953026 | 15.04606542 |
4) Angle of Attack = 6 degree:
VELOCITY:
DRAG FORCE:
LIFT FORCE:
DATA OBTAINED FROM PLOTS:
| Goal Name | Unit | Value | Averaged Value | Minimum Value | Maximum Value | Progress [%] | Use In Convergence | Delta | Criteria |
| SG Force (X) 1 | [N] | 545.7984152 | 546.0168928 | 543.7415636 | 547.8113748 | 100 | Yes | 4.069811174 | 9.249670465 |
| SG Force (Y) 1 | [N] | -2358.94367 | -2300.529514 | -2358.943667 | -2231.020397 | 20.9 | Yes | 127.9232699 | 26.80489677 |
5) Angle of Attack = 8 degree:
VELOCITY:
DRAG FORCE:
LIFT FORCE:
DATA OBTAINED FROM PLOTS:
| Goal Name | Unit | Value | Averaged Value | Minimum Value | Maximum Value | Progress [%] | Use In Convergence | Delta | Criteria |
| SG Force (X) 1 | [N] | 749.450878 | 744.9136786 | 739.9049943 | 749.450878 | 100 | Yes | 9.545883685 | 13.12142441 |
| SG Force (Y) 1 | [N] | -3164.00565 | -3087.007098 | -3164.005647 | -3000.820399 | 25.2 | Yes | 163.185248 | 41.14976805 |
6) Angle of Attack = 10 degree:
VELOCITY:
DRAG FORCE:
LIFT FORCE:
DATA OBTAINED FROM PLOTS:
| Goal Name | Unit | Value | Averaged Value | Minimum Value | Maximum Value | Progress [%] | Use In Convergence | Delta | Criteria |
| SG Force (X) 1 | [N] | 987.5092637 | 982.1808636 | 972.8357462 | 988.316705 | 100 | Yes | 15.48095883 | 17.2821974 |
| SG Force (Y) 1 | [N] | -3978.89676 | -3920.021801 | -3980.044944 | -3831.584021 | 39.2 | Yes | 148.4609224 | 58.25828235 |
COMPARISON OF AVERAGE DRAG FORCE IN ALL CASES:
| Angle of Attack | Drag Force |
| 0 | 317.9905772 |
| 2 | 346.6718662 |
| 4 | 420.6137584 |
| 6 | 546.0168928 |
| 8 | 744.9136786 |
| 10 | 982.1808636 |
CONCLUSION:
> From the above table it is clear thatthe drag force is increasing with increase in the angle if attack. This is happening because as the angle starts to increase the more surface area comes in contact with the flowing air and according to drag force formula, "Increase in surface area increases the drag force".
> For, the velocity analysis, As the angle advances from 0 to 10 degrees the velocity contour in the upward direction from the front of the airfoil increases logarithmically. At the tail side in all cases, its seems no difference there because that region of contour is same for all conditions.