Numerical modelling of a low Reynolds number plunging airfoil flow field characteristics

Complex viscous mechanisms such as leading edge vortices play a dominant role in the generation of instantaneous force and moment in low Reynolds number flows. The dependence of the corresponding fluid flow characteristics on the governing flow and system parameters in unsteady motions, e.g. plunging, adds to the inherent complexity of the problem. The respective fluid dynamics of such a flow is investigated here via computational fluid dynamics based on a finite volume method. The governing equations are the unsteady, incompressible two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. The flow field and vortical patterns around a thin ellipsoidal plunging airfoil are examined in detail with and without freestream velocity, and the effects of Reynolds and Strouhal numbers on the flow characteristics are explored. It is shown that both Reynolds and Strouhal numbers increase the aerodynamic performance in nonzero freestream velocity simulations. Increasing Reynolds and Strouhal numbers causes the airfoil to generate thrust for some time intervals of the plunging period. This thrust generation is penalized with higher peaks of drag coefficient when Strouhal number increases. However, the same penalty in the Reynolds number effect simulations is negligible compared to that of the Strouhal number effects. Increasing Strouhal number causes the airfoil to experience negative pitching moment with higher peak values for longer time intervals, but Reynolds number does not change the time at which negative pitching moment is exerted on the airfoil, but the peaks of pitching moment depend on the governing Reynolds number. The lift coefficient changes noticeably versus Strouhal number, where there is significant lead/lag at the peak lift coefficient for zero-freestream velocity simulations. Reynolds number effects on the lift coefficients mostly occur around the time at which the peak lift coefficient is obtained for both zero and nonzero freestream velocity cases. All of these effects are caused by the complex vortical patterns around the airfoil, described throughout the present article.