3D Airfoil CFD Simulation

Overview

This study uses ANSYS Fluent to analyze airflow around a 3D airfoil. Airfoils are key parts in aircraft wings and turbine blades. They create lift and drag. The research examines pressure, velocity, and wake behind the airfoil at known flow speeds. CFD provides accurate results without costly physical tests.​​

Project Setup

The project models steady air flow (10 m/s max) around a 0.5-meter airfoil in a wind tunnel. Air is treated as incompressible with constant properties (density: 1.225 kg/m³, viscosity: 0.001003 Pa·s).​

Geometry and Mesh

• Geometry: NACA airfoil centered in a large rectangular domain to avoid wall effects. Inlet has uniform flow; outlet uses pressure condition; other boundaries are symmetry or far-field.

• Mesh: Created in ANSYS Meshing with unstructured triangles. Refined near airfoil (leading/trailing edges, surfaces) for boundary layer accuracy. Coarser far away. Total: ~380,000 nodes, 2.1 million elements—balances cost and precision.​

Simulation Settings

• Solver: Pressure-based, steady-state in ANSYS Fluent.

• Boundaries:

  Boundary	Condition
  Inlet	Velocity: 10 m/s
  Outlet	Pressure outlet
  Airfoil	No-slip wall
  Far-field	Symmetry

   

   

• Methods: SIMPLE coupling, second-order schemes for pressure/momentum/turbulence (k-ω SST model).

• Runs: 1000 iterations with standard initialization.​

Results

• Pressure: High at leading edge (stagnation); low on upper surface (lift source); higher on lower surface.

• Velocity: Faster over top; slower wake with vortices at trailing edge (causes drag).

• Performance: Confirmed lift from pressure difference; drag from shear and wake. Fine mesh ensured accurate boundary layer capture.