Aerodynamic Design and Numerical Analysis of Bi-cambered Airfoil

Abstract

With the advancement of aerodynamics shapes, designing an airfoil contour is still a basic structure in fluid machinery. The present research provides a design criterion for a stable airfoil at a high angle of attack. An improved airfoil contour has been designed with two ridges on the upper surface and a flat bottom-placed laterally to fluid flow, which is running from leading edge to trailing edge and is named a bi-cambered airfoil. The current aim of this research is to enhance the aerodynamic efficiency to meet the outcome of the useful results. Rather than a single reflexed cambered surface with one, two or more convex or concave curves may be used in the design of an airfoil. Bi-camber surface airfoil tends to attach a boundary layer at the second cambered surface of the airfoil, which results in improving aerodynamic characteristics. These characteristics provide extensive possibilities in designing the airfoil for a high altitude aircraft where the stalling angle is low due to thin air and in wind turbines where the high angle of attack flow is common. Therefore, bi-cambered airfoil effectively lowers local Reynolds number is respect to boundary layer development.KeywordsBi-camber airfoilAerodynamics characteristicsAerodynamic efficiencyAirfoil contourFlow controlHigh angle of attack