Calculation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Heaving and Pitching Airfoil by a Panel-Vortex Method

Summary

This paper discusses an application of a two-dimensional vortex model to investigation of boundary layer characteristics and unsteady flow around a heaving and pitching airfoil with or without boundary layer separation in a uniform flow. In this method, the turbulent boundary layer around an airfoil is represented by a distribution of vortex sheet elements at the distance of local displacement thickness from the surface, and the free shear layers shed from the airfoil are modelled with discrete vortices which are introduced step by step at the trailing edge or a separation point. As a result of the calculations of flow patterns, unsteady fluid forces and powers done by the flow for a harmonically heaving and pitching NACA-0012 airfoil, it was concluded that the present method based on BEM and DVM provides reasonable prediction of the aerodynamic characteristics.