Smoke Line Geometry Impact on Airfoil Model Flow Visualization

Abstract

This study discusses the analysis of airflow visualization on a NACA 4412 airfoil model using a fluid mixture technique with variations in smoke line geometry. The main objectives of this study are to understand the behavior of airflow around the airfoil surface under different test conditions and methodology used involves flow simulation and experimental tests with fluid mixtures that produce flow visualization through various smoke line geometries, such as straight lines, zigzags, and curves. The test results show that variations in the shape of the smoke line produce different flow at the boundaries of the airfoil surface, which significantly affect the pressure distribution and lift coefficient. These findings provide important insights for the development of more efficient airfoil designs and the application of flow visualization techniques in aerodynamic testing.