Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis on Turbulent Kinetic Energy Distribution of NACA 0018 Airfoil at Two Reynolds Number

Abstract

The aerodynamic attributes of an airfoil must be evaluated both computationally and experimentally in order to improve its design and performance. The turbulence kinetic energy of a symmetric airfoils NACA 0018 was investigated in this study for two separate low Reynolds numbers of 300,000 and 700,000. This computational simulation work, which was carried out using the Ansys FLUENT 14.5 software, yields some interesting results. The distribution of turbulence kinetic energy across airfoil surfaces at various angles of attack and under two different airstream velocities is illustrated in this paper. Due to flow separation, there has been a big amount of turbulence observed after the stall angle [2]. The final results show that the NACA 0018 airfoil produces significant turbulence as the thickness of the airfoil increases, there is more friction with the air particle. In the second comparison, in terms of Reynolds number or airstream velocity, higher velocity produces more turbulence, as shown by the red zone in the figures. As turbulence is always expected to be as low as possible in aircraft [14], therefore, it is recommended not to use NACA 0018 airfoil in aircraft applications and rather it can be l in vertical axis wind turbine or horizontal axis wind turbine applications where turbulence is of less importance.

Cite as

Md. Abdus Shabur, Md. Asif Hasan Khan, & Nafis Saad Resan. (2022). Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis on Turbulent Kinetic Energy Distribution of NACA 0018 Airfoil at Two Reynolds Number. Research and Reviews: Journal of Mechanics and Machines, 4(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6451982