Airfoil lift Measurement by Wake Survey

10/11/2011 Calvin Lau #34165140 Group 3

ABSTRACT: Objective of the lab was to determine the drag of an airfoil through the means of a Hot film Anemometer. By varying the angle of attack the air foil creates a fluctuation at the wake. The anemometer would have a voltage change due to the variation of the cooling in the heated element inside the wake. EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS AND PROCEDURE: The procedure of the lab incorporates a low speed aerodynamic tunnel of an eighteen inch square plexi-glass section that is eight feet long. The suction type motor was a 30HP centrifugal blower powered by a drive belt. The airfoil needed for the lab was a NACA 0012, which is attached to a beam and a device at which a student was able to easily change the angle of attack by a labeled readout. An anemometer is positioned behind the air foil and is freely adjustable in the vertical direction. This methodology would allow us to measure the velocity fluctuations behind the wake under different attack angles. Using the setup provided (also shown in figure below), while the wind tunnel is on and a specific angle of attack is chosen, one should obtain the voltage output through the anemometer by labview (setup is made by the teaching assistant). Through an oscilloscope which displays a approximate line during free stream, we would need to change the distance of the anemometer at which the probe passes through the edge of the wake (turbulent signal lines). Once data has been recorded, repeat the steps with a different angle of attack. A calibration data would be given for the anemometer at which a fourth order polynomial of the velocity can be determined from the voltage. Another main equation to use is the Drag force: ( )

Figure 1: 2-D view of the airfoil and wind tunnel RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: Plotted below are the velocity profiles in the wake for each attack angle. The small dipping variation is the velocity defect at which turbulence occurs behind the airfoil.

Velocity vs Distance (y) of 0 attack angle

19.6 19.4 19.2 Velocity 19 18.8 18.6 18.4 18.2 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Distance (mm)

Plot 1: Velocity vs Anemometer distance at 0 attack angle

Velocity vs Distance (y) of 3 attack angle

19.6 19.4 19.2 19 Velocity 18.8 18.6 18.4 18.2 18 17.8 17.6 0 20 40 60 80 Distance (mm) 100 120 140 160

Plot 2: Velocity vs Anemometer distance at 3 attack angle

Velocity vs Distance (y) of 9 attack angle

20 19.5

19 Velocity

18.5

18

17.5

17 0 20 40 60 80 Distance (mm) 100 120 140 160

Plot 3: Velocity vs Anemometer distance at 9 attack angle

Velocity vs Distance (y) of 10 attack angle

20 19.5 19 Velocity 18.5 18 17.5 17 16.5 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Distance (mm)

Plot 4: Velocity vs Anemometer distance at 10 attack angle

Velocity vs Distance (y) of 11 attack angle

20 19.5 19 Velocity 18.5 18 17.5 17 16.5 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Distance (mm)

Plot 5: Velocity vs Anemometer distance at 11 attack angle

Velocity vs Distance (y) of 12 attack angle

20 19.5 19 18.5 Velocity 18 17.5 17 16.5 16 15.5 15 0 50 100 150 Distance (mm) 200 250 300

Plot 6: Velocity vs Anemometer distance at 12 attack angle With these plots, we then would take the average of the velocities in each attack angle in order to calculate the drag force and the drag coefficient.

Angle of attack 0 3 9 10 11 12

Drag 17.84680348 19.30862471 20.24786362 22.17857761 23.28736359 30.02335688

Drag Coefficient 0.071836873 0.078537996 0.082788929 0.09136994 0.096503323 0.12956815

Table 1: Drag forces and coefficients of different attack angles

Drag Coefficient vs Attack angle

0.14 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.06 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Angle of attack

Drag coefficient

Plot 7: Drag Coefficient vs Attack angle

Here we find that the drag coefficient increases with an increasing attack angle. This is actually true in its terms where an increasing attack angle creates more lift (without changing the free stream velocity). In order to generate more lift, the airfoil must also generate more drag to create and upward force to counteract the weight more. The velocity defects shown give us a general idea of where the turbulence of the wake is located. By using these defects, we can determine that the attack angle of twelve degrees is our stall angle or close to it. The reason for such is that based on the graph, we find turbulence within the free stream (jumps at all distances) and behind the wake of the airfoil. While increasing the distance of the anemometer, we find that the velocity defect is extended a little longer compared to the rest and its location is further down.

Below is a generated plot of Group 5 at which we are to compare our data to.
Attack angle 0 3 9 10 11 12 Drag 70.30130389 70.89436204 70.56564854 71.2346319 71.62801593 72.59292101 Drag Coefficient 0.386490388 0.391568693 0.388747304 0.39450687 0.397926275 0.406418218

Table 2: Drag forces and coefficient of Group 5

Drag Coefficient vs Attack Angle (Group 5)

0.41 0.405 Drag Coefficient 0.4 0.395 0.39 0.385 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Attack angle

Plot 8: Drag coefficient vs attack angle of group 5 data

Here we find that group 5 had a similar to better data distribution than we had. For characteristics, we both find an increasing drag coefficient for an increasing attack angle. Even though their drag forces are higher than ours, there is still an increasing drag force. Below is a figure of the datasheet for the NACA 0012 airfoil. Using the plots generated form our velocity profiles and the respective drag coefficient, we find that we have very similar characteristics displayed, though our velocity may be slower in the wind tunnel compared to group 5.

Velocity vs Distance of 12 attack angle (Group 5)

16.8 16.6 16.4 16.2 Velocity 16 15.8 15.6 15.4 15.2 15 14.8 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Distance

Plot 9: Velocity vs Distance of 12 attack angle from Group 5

Figure 2: NACA 0012 airfoil

Here we can also view that with an increasing attack angle; we have an increasing drag coefficient on the left plot. In relation to our theory of increased drag coefficient, should result in an increase in lift coefficient if free stream velocity is constant, the plot on the right clearly shows such a case for and increasing attack angle. Based on the right plot of the figure, we find that the stall angle is around sixteen degrees of the attack angle. This shows us that near twelve degrees, at which turbulent flows were shown in our velocity profile and group 5s velocity profile, our acquired measurements are fairly accurate results. To explain the difference in the numerical drag forces and drag coefficients, the only explanations are a change in free stream velocity from the wind tunnel and calibration data from the anemometer (possible degeneration of current in the system).

Cd vs Re
0.14 0.13 0.12 0.11 Cd 0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.06 2960000

2980000

3000000

3020000

3040000

3060000

3080000

3100000

Reynolds Number

Plot 10: Drag coefficient vs Reynolds number

Shown is a plot of our drag coefficient vs Reynolds number which holds the concept of sensitivity to Reynolds number. The reason to this is that the drag coefficient is a function of the Reynolds number. By increasing the Reynolds number, one also increases the drag coefficient, in relation to the equation:

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we find that the characteristics shown in the datasheet of NACA 0012 figures represent our data (and also Group 5s data). The velocity profiles showcase very similar velocity defects and turbulent locations in the wake until the airfoil reaches an attack angle of twelve degrees. There were no deviations from theory. Our data proves that the drag forces increases with increasing attack angles. In terms of equations, an airfoil generates lift in two factors, increasing the velocity or increasing the attack angle. By doing so, our data also

represents a decreasing Reynolds number while the drag coefficient increases due to the equation above. Discrepancies shown in our results are only the drag forces. This may be due to a decreased free stream velocity at which the wind tunnel was possibly set for the lab. Even with the discrepancy, it rarely affects our datas characteristics which still represent the NACA 0012data sheet.

REFERENCES:
1) http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/Departments/mae/madnia/Teaching/mae424/Laboratory/labnotes2.pdf

2)Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, 5th edition, John D. Anderson, Jr. 3) http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/Departments/mae/madnia/Teaching/mae424/Laboratory/nacaairfoils.pdf

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