Numerical Analysis of Dynamic Stall of a Tubercled Airfoil

Abstract

The intention of the present work is to analyse numerically the effect of tubercles on the aerodynamic performance of an airfoil section in dynamic conditions at a low Reynolds number. The performance analysis is done for the airfoil section, E216 and the lift trends for its pitching motion are studied. Numerical simulation is carried in ANSYS FLUENT. The transition SST (4 equation) viscous model is considered for the study. The results show that the lift coefficient increases while pitching up motion of the airfoil up to an angle of attack of 15°. A hysteresis loop is formed while plotting the lift coefficient against the angle of attack, indicating that the lift coefficient during pitching up is higher than that during pitching back for the same angle of attack. The tubercles reduce the lift coefficient but considerably reduce the hysteresis loop in the lift. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.