Author(s) :

Qasim N Khan.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

In this study, a comparative Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis is presented with the aim of elucidating performance trade-offs between traditional airfoils and laminar flow airfoil designs. Two conventional sections (NACA 2412 and NACA 0012) and two laminar flow designs (NACA 64A010 and NACA 747A315) were analyzed using steady-state Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations in ANSYS Fluent employing the SST turbulence model. A mesh refinement study confirmed grid convergence and established mesh independence, with the near-wall resolution maintained at y+ ≤ 1. Furthermore, results obtained from the simulations were validated against experimental data and demonstrated strong agreement. Across all Reynolds numbers under investigation (5 × 104, 5 × 105, 2 × 106, and 9 × 106), traditional airfoils achieved superior aerodynamic efficiency, with the NACA 2412 exhibiting the highest lift-to-drag ratios (CL/CD ≈ 90 at Re = 9 × 106), while laminar flow profiles demonstrated lower maximum lift. Post-stall behavior revealed slower lift decay for laminar flow sections, indicating improved stall recovery. Overall, the findings suggest that traditional airfoils maintain broader operational efficiency and robustness across varying flow conditions. These conclusions, however, cannot be generalized to all traditional and laminar flow airfoils, as only two airfoils from each category were examined. Additionally, all simulations were performed using a fully turbulent RANS framework without an explicit transition model, which may influence the predicted performance of laminar flow airfoils. The study underscores the significance of airfoil selection for optimizing aircraft performance and highlights the need for future work involving turbulence modeling, three-dimensional effects, and experimental validation to refine our understanding of traditional and laminar flow airfoils.