Subsonic Airfoils

W.H. Mason Conguration Aerodynamics Class

Most people dont realize that mankind can be divided into two great classes: those who take airfoil selection seriously, and those who dont. Peter Garrison, Flying, Sept. 2002

Typical Subsonic Methods: Panel Methods

For subsonic inviscid ow, the oweld can be found by solving an integral equation for the potential on the surface This is done assuming a distribution of singularities along the surface, and nding the strengths of the singularities The airfoil is represented by a series of (typically) straight line segments between nodes, and the nonpenetration boundary condition is typically satised at control points Some version of a Kutta condition is required to close the system of equations.
node N -1 N N+1 4 3 2 1

panel

Comparison of Panel Method Pressure Distribution with Exact Conformal Transformation Results
-2.50 PANEL -2.00 -1.50 -1.00 Exact Conformal Mapping

Cp
-0.50 0.00 0.50 1.00 -0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

x/c

XFOILs inviscid calculations use a panel method The conformal mapping solution is from Antony Jameson

Convergence with increasing numbers of panels

0.980 0.975 CL 0.970 0.965 0.960 0.955 0.950 0 20 40 60 80 No. of Panels 100 120

NACA 0012 Airfoil, = 8

A better way to examine convergence: Lift

0.980 0.975 0.970 0.965 0.960 0.955 0.950 0 NACA 0012 Airfoil, = 8

CL

0.01

0.02

0.03 0.04 1/n

0.05

0.06

Convergence with Panels: Moment

-0.240 -0.242 Cm -0.246 -0.248 -0.250 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 -0.244 NACA 0012 Airfoil, = 8

1/n

Convergence with Panels: Drag

0.012 0.010 0.008 CD 0.006 0.004 0.002 0.000 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 1/n 0.05 0.06 NACA 0012 Airfoil, = 8

Pressures: 20 and 60 panels

-5.00 -4.00 -3.00 -2.00 CP -1.00 0.00 1.00 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 NACA 0012 airfoil, = 8 20 panels 60 panels

x/c

Pressures: 60 and 100 panels

-5.00 -4.00 -3.00 -2.00 NACA 0012 airfoil, = 8 60 panels 100 panels

CP
-1.00 0.00 1.00 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

x/c

Comparison with WT Data: Lift - recall: panel methods are inviscid! -

2.50

2.00 NACA 4412 1.50

CL
1.00 NACA 0012

0.50
CL, NACA 0012 - PANEL

0.00

CL, NACA 0012 - exp. data CL, NACA 4412 - PANEL CL, NACA 4412 - exp. data

-0.50 -5.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Comparison with Data: Pitching Moment - about the quarter chord -

0.10 0.05 -0.00 NACA 0012

Cm

-0.05 c/4 -0.10 -0.15 -0.20 -0.25 -0.30 -5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 NACA 4412
Cm, NACA 0012 - PANEL Cm, NACA 4412 - PANEL Cm, NACA 0012 - exp. data Cm, NACA 4412 - exp. data

15.0

20.0

25.0

Comparison of inviscid prediction with WT Pressure Distribution

-1.2 data from NACA R-646 -0.8 -0.4 Cp -0.0 0.4 0.8 1.2 Predictions from PANEL = 1.875 M = .191 Re = 720,000 transition free 0.0 0.2 0.4 x/c 0.6

NACA 4412 airfoil 0.8 1.0 1.2

Note viscous relief (loss) of full pressure recovery at the trailing edge

XFOIL: the code for subsonic airfoils

Panel Methods: Inviscid! Couple with a BL analysis to include viscous effects The single element viscous subsonic airfoil analysis method of choice: XFOIL
by Prof. Mark Drela at MIT

Link available from my software site

Airfoil pressures: What to look for

-2.00 Expansion/recovery around leading edge (minimum pressure or max velocity, first appearance of sonic flow) Rapidly accelerating flow, favorable pressure gradient upper surface pressure recovery (adverse pressure gradient) lower surface 0.00 Trailing edge pressure recovery 0.50 Leading edge stagnation point NACA 0012 airfoil, = 4 1.00 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 x/c 0.7 0.9 1.1 -1.50

-1.00 CP -0.50

Effect of Angle of Attack

-5.00 NACA 0012 airfoil Inviscid calculation from PANEL -4.00 = 0 =4 =8

-3.00 CP -2.00

-1.00

0.00

1.00 -0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5 x/c

0.7

0.9

1.1

Comparison of NACA 4-Digit Airfoils 0006, 0012, 0018

-0.30 -0.20 -0.10 y/c -0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 x/c 0.7 0.9 1.1 NACA 0006 (max t/c = 6%) NACA 0012 (max t/c = 12%) NACA 0018 (max t/c = 18%)

Thickness Effects on Airfoil Pressures Zero Lift Case

-1.00 Inviscid calculation from PANEL -0.50 CP 0.00

0.50

NACA 0006, = 0 NACA 0012, = 0 NACA 0018, = 0 0.1 0.3 0.5 x/c 0.7 0.9 1.1

1.00 -0.1

Thickness Effects on Airfoil Pressures, CL = 0.48

-3.00 Inviscid calculation from PANEL -2.50 NACA 0006, = 4 -2.00 -1.50 CP -1.00 -0.50 0.00 0.50 1.00 -0.1 NACA 0012, = 4 NACA 0018, = 4

0.1

0.3

0.5 x/c

0.7

0.9

1.1

Comparison of NACA 4-Digit Airfoils the 0012 and 4412

0.30 0.20 0.10 y/c -0.00 -0.10 -0.20 -0.30 -0.1 NACA 0012 (max t/c = 12%) NACA 4412 foil (max t/c = 12%) 0.1 0.3 0.5 x/c 0.7 0.9 1.1

Highly Cambered Airfoil Pressure Distribution - NACA 4412 -

-2.00 Inviscid calculation from PANEL -1.50 NACA 4412, = 0 NACA 4412, = 4

-1.00 CP -0.50

0.00

0.50 Note: For a comparison of cambered and uncambered presuure distributions at the same lift, see Fig. 18. 1.00 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 x/c 0.7 0.9 1.1

Camber Effects on Airfoil Pressures, CL = 0.48

-2.00 Inviscid calculation from PANEL -1.50 NACA 0012, = 4 NACA 4412, = 0 -1.00

-0.50 CP 0.00

0.50

1.00 -0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5 x/c

0.7

0.9

1.1

Camber Effects on Airfoil Pressures, CL = 0.96

-4.00 Inviscid calculations from PANEL -3.00 NACA 0012, = 8 NACA 4412, = 4

-2.00 CP -1.00

0.00

1.00 -0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5 x/c

0.7

0.9

1.1

Camber Effects on Airfoil Pressures, CL = 1.43

-6.00 Inviscid calculations from PANEL -5.00 NACA 0012, = 12 -4.00 -3.00 CP -2.00 -1.00 0.00 1.00 -0.1 NACA 4412, = 8

0.1

0.3

0.5 x/c

0.7

0.9

1.1

For Completeness: Drag Data Effect of Camber

2.00 Re = 6 million 1.50

1.00

CL
0.50 NACA 4412 NACA 0012 0.00 data from Abbott and von Doehhoff -0.50 0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018

CD

NACA 6712 Airfoil - Heavy Aft Camber Geometry -

0.15

y/c 0.05 -0.05 -0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5 x/c

0.7

0.9

1.1

NACA 6712 Airfoil - Heavy Aft Camber, Pressure Distribution -

-2.00 Inviscid calculations from PANEL -1.50 -1.00 -0.50 CP 0.00 0.50 NACA 6712 1.00 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 x/c 0.7 0.9 1.1 = -.6 (CL = 1.0)

Whitcomb GA(W)-1 Airfoil

0.15 0.10 0.05 y/c 0.00 -0.05 -0.10
-1.00

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6 0.8 Inviscid calculations from PANEL x/c

1.0

-0.50 Cp 0.00

0.50

GA(W)-1 Note nearly parallel upper and = 0 lowersurfaces at the trailing edge 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

1.00 x/c

Liebecks Hi-Lift Airfoil: Geometry and Lift - note shape of pressure recovery -

From R.T. Jones, Wing Theory

Liebecks Hi-Lift Airfoil: Drag

From Bertin, Aerodynamics for Engineers

Camberline Design: DesCam

0.12 0.10 0.08 Z/C 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.00 0.0 0.2 0.4 X/C 0.6 0.8 0.50 0.00 -0.50 1.0
(Z-Z0)/C - DesCam Z/C - from Abbott & vonDoenhoff

2.00 1.50 CP 1.00

Design Chord Loading

Airfoil Selection

Issues: Cruise CL, and CLmax, dont forget Cm0 -large LE radius? -Near parallel trailing edge closure Prole Drag: Laminar ow? Tailor pressure distribution Thickness for low weight and internal volume Tails: often symmetric, 6 series foils picked Study Abbott and von Doenhoff (both) as a start

To Conclude

You have the tools to do single element airfoil design