Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Aspect Ratio Effect on Aerodynamic Performance of NACA 4415 Airfoil Section at Low Reynolds Number

Abstract

In this study, the effect of aspect ratio on the aerodynamic coefficients is investigated for a NACA 4415 airfoil profile. Four different aspect ratios which are 3, 5, 7, and 9 are evaluated with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and the experiments. The CFD studies are performed using a three-dimensional (3D) computational domain and by using the k–ω shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model for turbulence calculations. The measurements of the aerodynamic forces are carried out in open jet type wind tunnel using a three-component balance. CFD and experimental studies are performed at angles of attack from 0° to 25° and Reynolds number 85e3. The results show that as the aspect ratio increases, separation points move towards the leading edge of the airfoil and the stall angle reduces. Furthermore, it is observed that the lift coefficients increase with the increasing aspect ratio. The results obtained indicate that there is a harmony between the experimental data and the CFD solutions.