A Comparative Study: Aerodynamics of Morphed Airfoils Using CFD Techniques and Analytical Tools

Abstract

This paper presents an aerodynamics study of wing morphing by creating a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model using ANSYS FLUENT. First, known National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) 2410 and 8410 profiles of airfoils are modeled. Models are run using prescribed initial and boundary conditions to simulate the morphed wing and flow around it. The Shear Stress Transport (SST) k–ω turbulence model is used to obtain an accurate comparison with the analytical results. Once satisfied with validation, variable cambers between NACA 2410 and 8410 are used in two ends of a wing to mimic a morphed wing situation. Drag and lift coefficients are analyzed for this configuration to understand effects of the airfoil shape on aerodynamic performance. A refined mesh is created near the airfoil wall to capture the flow details. This study is a step forward towards understanding how to accurately model the dynamic morphing of an airplane wing.