Airfoil

About: Airfoil is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 24696 publications have been published within this topic receiving 337709 citations. The topic is also known as: aerofoil & wing section.

Review paper on wind turbine aerodynamics

Abstract: The paper describes the development and description of the aerodynamic models used to estimate the aerodynamic loads on wind turbine constructions. This includes a status of the capabilities of computation fluid dynamics and the need for reliable airfoil data for the simpler engineering models. Also a discussion of the use of passive and active aerodynamic devices is included such as, e.g., Vortex Generators and distributed active flaps. Finally the problem of wakes in wind farms is addressed and a section of the likely future development of aerodynamic models for wind turbines is included.

The effect of phase angle and wing spacing on tandem flapping wings

Abstract: In a tandem wing configuration, the hindwing often operates in the wake of the forewing and, hence, its performance is affected by the vortices shed by the forewing. Changes in the phase angle between the flapping motions of the fore and the hind wings, as well as the spacing between them, can affect the resulting vortex/wing and vortex/vortex interactions. This study uses 2D numerical simulations to investigate how these changes affect the leading dege vortexes (LEV) generated by the hindwing and the resulting effect on the lift and thrust coefficients as well as the efficiencies. The tandem wing configuration was simulated using an incompressible Navier-Stokes solver at a chord-based Reynolds number of 5 000. A harmonic single frequency sinusoidal oscillation consisting of a combined pitch and plunge motion was used for the flapping wing kinematics at a Strouhal number of 0.3. Four different spacings ranging from 0.1 chords to 1 chord were tested at three different phase angles, 0°, 90° and 180°. It was found that changes in the spacing and phase angle affected the timing of the interaction between the vortex shed from the forewing and the hindwing. Such an interaction affects the LEV formation on the hindwing and results in changes in aerodynamic force production and efficiencies of the hindwing. It is also observed that changing the phase angle has a similar effect as changing the spacing. The results further show that at different spacings the peak force generation occurs at different phase angles, as do the peak efficiencies.

Airfoil array with an endwall depression and components of the array

Abstract: An airfoil array includes a laterally extending endwall 56 with a series of airfoils such as 28 , or 38 projecting from the endwall. The airfoils cooperate with the endwall to define a series of fluid flow passages 74 . The endwall has a hump 84 toward a pressure side of the passage and a less elevated profile toward a suction side of the passage for reducing secondary flow losses.

Self-Noise Produced by an Airfoil with Nonflat Plate Trailing-Edge Serrations

Abstract: This paper represents the results of an experimental study aimed at reducing the airfoil self-noise by the trailing-edge serration of four different sawtooth geometries (defined in the serration angle and length). These serrations have a common feature: all of the sawtooth patterns are cut directly into the trailing edge of a realistic airfoil. This configuration offers better structural strength and integrity. For the sawtooth trailing edges investigated here, the radiation of the extraneous vortex shedding noise in a narrowband frequency due to the partial bluntness at the serration roots is unavoidable. However, this narrowband component tends to be less significant provided that the serration angle is large and the serration length is moderate. Sound power was measured, and some of the sawtooth geometries have been shown to afford significant boundary-layer instability tonal noise and moderate turbulent broadband noise reductions across a fairly large velocity range. This paper demonstrates that a non...

Insight into Wind Turbine Stall and Post-stall Aerodynamics

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate measured NASA Ames Unsteady Aerodynamic Experiment post-stall blade element data and to provide guidelines for developing an empirical approach that predicts post-stall aerofoil characteristics. Blade element data were analysed from the five radial stations of the baseline 5·03 m radius rotor. A lifting surface/prescribed wake performance prediction method was used to determine a reference angle of attack that corresponds to the measured blade element data. Using the measured normal and tangential force coefficients and estimated angle of attack, spanwise distributions of lift and drag performance characteristics were derived along with the circulation distributions. Guidelines for a new stall and post-stall model based on the measured trends in the aerofoil performance characteristics, along with flat plate theory, are proposed for predicting the peak and post-peak power. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.