Numerical investigation of the role of tubercles in augmenting the aerodynamic characteristics of S823 airfoil

• Main Authors: Supreeth, R., Arokkiaswamy, A., Keshavan, Anirudh, Koushik, Pradyumna R., Kashyap, Pramod P., Sanarahamat, A. K.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerodynamic characteristics; Aerodynamics; CAD; Computational fluid dynamics; Computer aided design; Fluid flow; K-omega turbulence model; Stalling; Turbulence models; Wind turbines
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0036767

Numerically investigating the role of leading edge tubercles on the fluid dynamic behavior of S823 airfoil tailored for wind turbine application has been the forefront of the study. Baseline and the modified airfoils exhibiting three different amplitude (A) and wavelength (λ) geometries represented as A07W50, A12W50 and A07W25 are selected for the aerodynamic investigation. The aerodynamic attributes of the baseline and the modified airfoils at Re=200000 and a ranging from 00 to 200 are evaluated numerically through k-ω SST turbulence model using ANSYS FLUENT®. Preliminary comparison of the computational data shows that the aerodynamic performance of all the modified airfoils was visibly better than the baseline model. A07W50, A12W50 and A07W25 registered 13%, 15% and 8% increase in the Cl values as compared to the baseline model. Besides, the modified models demonstrated a restrained soft stalling behavior rather than hard stall as displayed by the baseline model. Finally the conclusive outcomes of the study clearly elucidate the advantageous aspects of tubercles in passively promoting the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil.