This document summarizes a computational fluid dynamics study comparing the aerodynamic properties of a symmetric airfoil (NACA 0012) and a cambered airfoil (NACA 2412). Both airfoils have the same chord length, span, and position of maximum thickness. The study finds that the cambered airfoil produces greater lift and a higher lift to drag ratio. It also finds that increasing camber delays boundary layer separation, leading to higher stall angles. Lower Reynolds numbers generate more drag on an airfoil.

1. Introduction
• Two Airfoils are analyzed to determine the influence of
camber on aerodynamic characteristics.
• NACA 0012 (symmetric)
• NACA 2412 (Cambered)
• The both have the same
• Chord length ( 0.2 m)
• Span (0.05 m)
• Position of Maximum thickness (12% )
1

2. 2
Inflated airfoil mesh
Computational model

3. • Boundary conditions
• Constant free stream velocity U∞= 5 m/s.
• At temperature 250C
• 1 atm reference pressure
• No heat transfer, no turbulence model
• No slip at the airfoil walls
• Domain boundaries of free slip
• Outlet conditions of zero gauge average static pressure.
3
Computational domain

4. • Grid convergence
• The result for the lift coefficient is plotted for 3 mesh sizes
• 0.006 m mesh is chosen since it gives smoother result
4

5. Influence of airfoil camber on aerodynamic
coefficients
• Cambered airfoil produces greater lift & lift to drag ratio
5

6. • Influence of airfoil camber on Flow behavior
• Total pressure For symmetric airfoil at 0, 8,12,& 15 degrees angle
of attack
6

7. • Influence of airfoil camber on Flow behavior
• Total pressure For cambered airfoil at 0, 8,12,& 15 degrees angle
of attack
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8. • Influence of varying the thickness ratio
• As the thickness % is increased
Drag coefficient increases
• Influence of Varying Reynolds number on drag
coefficient
• As the speed is increased the
drag coefficient reduces
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9. • Boundary layer thickness and separation
• Separation occurred at x=0.082 m then flow reattaches
• A final separation occurs at x=0.18 m which is very close to the trailing
edge
• Conclusion
• The camber of an airfoil is important for delay of boundary layer
separation
• The results gotten from the simulation at the same Reynolds number (65000) for the
NACA0012 and NACA2412 shows the stall angles to be 11.60 and 14.80 respectively.
• Separation will lead to lift as well as drag generation.
• Lower Reynolds number generates more drag on an airfoil
• The sharp peaks of the wall shear stress after separation are seen to be
due to transition of boundary layers from laminar to turbulent
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x (m) y (m) UT (m/s) du dy τw/µ (1/s) δ (m)
0.000702 0.000154 3.135554 1.28E-07 5.52E-06 0.023282 0.005513
0.007136 0.007698 4.12E-06 1.34E-10 2.90E-06 4.62E-05 0.002088
0.016758 0.010229 3.367934 1.50E-10 5.51E-06 2.72E-05 0.001884
0.031709 0.013356 5.675004 0.041262 5.56E-06 7424.083 0.001967
0.057865 0.015645 6.04E+00 0.030707 5.50E-06 5579.344 0.002349
0.080487 0.015614 -0.41172 -0.00854 5.50E-06 -1551.55 0
0.080487 0.015614 -4.12E-01 0.00582 5.50E-06 1058.182 0.004122
0.126845 0.011869 8.33E-01 2.83E-05 5.59E-06 5.059576 0.005534
0.148499 0.0091 1.35E-01 0.001567 5.58E-06 280.8696 0.000393
0.167461 0.006197 2.49E+00 0.000562 5.56E-06 101.144 0.005534
0.18278 0.003525 4.074433 -0.02198 5.57E-06 -3946.1 0.005551