Numerical simulation of the effect of a moving wall on separation of flow past a symmetrical aerofoil

Abstract

This paper applies the numerical simulation technique based on the generalized conservation of circulation (GCC) method to investigate the effects of a leading-edge rotating circular cylinder on the suppression of stall flow past a symmetrical Joukowski aerofoil. The variables investigated were the angle of attack α and the ratio of the surface velocity of the cylinder to freestream velocity, C_U. The Reynolds number based on chord length is 1.43 × 10⁵. It was found that the separation point on the upper surface of the aerofoil shifts downstream with increasing C_U and stall flow can be significantly suppressed even at α up to 30° when C_U = 4. The lift coefficient C^L increases and the drag coefficient C^d decreases with increasing C^U and the optimum C^L/C^d occurs at α=80°. The maximum C^L/C^d obtained is about 60 at C^U = 4.