On the wake pattern of symmetric airfoils for different incidence angles at Re = 1000

Abstract

In the current study, numerical simulations are performed in order to investigate effects of incidence angle and airfoil thickness on alternating vortex pattern of symmetric airfoils at Re = 1000. This alternating vortex pattern is found to be significantly varying in shape as the incidence angle increases. The results are obtained with 1° increment from 0° to 41° and then with 10° increment from 40° until 180°. The instantaneous and mean vortex patterns are investigated around 2% thick (NACA 0002) and 12% thick (NACA 0012) airfoils. The mean lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficients in addition to Strouhal number are computed and compared with the results available in literature. It is found that the wake behind the airfoil exhibits a continuous vortex shedding pattern below 8° incidence angle for NACA 0002 and below 7° incidence angle for NACA 0012 at Re = 1000. The wake structures are classified into five different modes according to their pattern obtained from instantaneous and mean vorticity fields by also taking into account the amplitude spectrum of the lift coefficient, the instantaneous and mean aerodynamic force coefficients, velocity fields, and the longitudinal and lateral vortex spacings.