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ANSYS WB - Airfoil - All Pages

Added by Benjamin J Mullen , last edited by Benjamin J Mullen on Apr 29, 2011 16:20

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Problem Specification
Pre-Analysis & Start-Up
Boundary Conditions
Open ANSYS Workbench
Geometry
Download the Airfoil Coordinates
Launch Design Modeler
Airfoil
Create C-Mesh Domain
Create Quadrants
Mesh
Mapped Face Meshing
Edge Sizing
Named Selections
Setup(Physics)
Launch the Solver
Select the Solver
Models and Materials
Boundary Conditions
Inlet
Outlet
Airfoil
Reference Values
Solution
Methods
Monitors
Initial Guess
Solve
Results
Velocity
Pressure Contours
Streamlines
Pressure Coefficient

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Coefficients of Lift and Drag

Verification and Validation
Verification
Validation
Exercises
1. Incompressible, Inviscid Model
2. Boundary Value Problem
3. Coefficient of Pressure
4. Lift and Drag Coefficient
Conclusions

Author: Benjamin Mullen, Cornell University

Problem Specification
1. Pre-Analysis & Start-Up
2. Geometry
3. Mesh
4. Setup (Physics)
5. Solution
6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Problem Specification
In this tutorial, we will show you how to simulate a NACA 0012 Airfoil at a 6 degree angle of
attack placed in a wind tunnel. Using FLUENT, we will create a simulation of this experiment.
Afterwards, we will compare values from the simulation and data collected from experiment.

Continue to Step 1 - Pre-Analysis & Start-Up

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Author: Benjamin Mullen, Cornell University

Problem Specification
1. Pre-Analysis & Start-Up
2. Geometry
3. Mesh
4. Setup (Physics)
5. Solution
6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Pre-Analysis & Start-Up

Boundary Conditions
One of the simple things we can think about before we set up the simulation is begin planning
the boundary conditions of the set up. One of the popular meshes for simulating a airfoil in a
stream is a C-Mesh, and that is what we will be using. At the inlet of the system, we will define
the velocity as entering at a 6 degree angle of attack (as per the problem statement), and at a
total magnitude of 1. We will also define the gauge pressure at the inlet to be 0. As for the
outlet, the only thing we can assume is that the gauge pressure is 0. As for the airfoil itself, we
will treat it like a wall. Together, these boundary conditions form the picture below:

Open ANSYS Workbench

Now that we have the pre-calculations, we are ready to do a simulation in ANSYS Workbench!
Open ANSYS Workbench by going to Start > ANSYS > Workbench. This will open the start up

screen seen as seen below

To begin, we need to tell ANSYS what kind of simulation we are doing. If you look to the left of
the start up window, you will see the Toolbox Window. Take a look through the different
selections. We will be using FLUENT to complete the simulation. Load the Fluid Flow
(FLUENT) box by dragging and dropping it into the Project Schematic.

Once you have loaded FLUENT into the project schematic, you are ready to create the
geometry for the simulation.
Continue to Step 2 - Geometry
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Problem Specification
1. Pre-Analysis & Start-Up

2. Geometry
3. Mesh
4. Setup (Physics)
5. Solution
6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Geometry
Download the Airfoil Coordinates
In this step, we will import the coordinates of the airfoil and create the geometry we will use for
the simulation. Begin by downloading this file here and saving it somewhere convenient. This
file contains the points of a NACA 0012 airfoil.

Launch Design Modeler

Before we launch the design modeler, we need to specify the problem as a 2D problem. Right
click

and select Properties. In the Properties of Schem atic

A2: Geom etry Window, select Analysis Type > 2D. Now, double click
to launch the Design Modeler. When prompted, select M eters as
the unit of measurement.

Airfoil
First, we will create the geometry of the airfoil. In the menu bar, go to Concept > 3D Curve. In
the Details View window, click Coordinates File and select the ellipsis

to browse to a

file. Browse to and select the geometry file you downloaded earlier. Once you have selected
the desired geometry file, click
the curve.

to create the curve. Click

to get a better look at

Next, we need to create a surface from the curve we just generated. Go to Concepts >
Surfaces from Edges. Click anywhere on the curve you just created, and select Edges >
Apply in the Details View Window. Click

to create the surface.

Create C-Mesh Domain

Now that the airfoil has been generated, we need to create the meshable surface we will use
once we begin to specify boundary conditions. We will begin by creating a coordinate system
at the tail of the airfoil - this will help us create the geometry for the C-mesh domain. Click
to create a new coordinate system. In the Details View window, select Type > From
Coordinates. For FD11, Point X, enter 1.

Click

to generate the new coordinate system. In the Tree Outline Window, select

the new coordinate system you created (defaulted to Plane 4), then click

to create a new

sketch. This will create a sketching plane on the XY plane with the tail of the airfoil as the origin.
At the bottom of the Tree Outline Window, click the Sketching tab to bring up the sketching
window.
The first action we will take is create the arc of the C-Mesh domain. Click

. The

first click selects the center of the arc, and the next two clicks determine the end points of the
arc. We want the center of the arc to be at the tail of the airfoil. Click on the origin of the sketch,
making sure the P symbol is showing

For the end points of the arc, first select a point on the vertical axis above the origin (a C
symbol will show), then select a point on the vertical axis below the origin. You should end up
with the following:

To create the right side of the C-Mesh donain, click

. Click the following

points to create the rectangle in this order - where the arc meets the positive vertical axis,
where the arc meets the negative vertical axis, then anywhere in the right half plane. The final
result should look like this:

Now, we need to get rid of necessary lines created by the rectangle. Select M odify in the

Sketching Toolboxes window, then select

. Click the lines of the rectangle the are

collinear with the positive and negative vertical axises. Now, select the Dimensions toolbox
to dimension the C-Mesh domain. Click
Assign the arc a value of 12.5. Next, select

, followed by the arc to dimension the arc.

. Click the vertical axis and the vertical

portion of the rectangle in the right half plane. Also assign the horizontal dimension a value of
12.5.

Click here to enlarge the image

Next, we need to create a surface from this sketch. To accomplish this, go to Concept >
Surface From Sketches. Click anywehere on the sketch, and select Base Objects >
Apply in the Details View Window. Also, select Operation > Add Frozen. Once you have
the correct settings, click

. The final step of creating the C-Mesh is creating a surface

between the boundary and the airfoil. To do this, go to Create > Boolean. In the Details View
window, select Operation > Subtract. Next, select Target Bodies > Not selected,
select the large C-Mesh domain surface, then click Apply. Repeat the same process to select
the airfoil as the Tool Body. When you have selected the bodies, click
Selecting the Airfoil Body
Because the C-Mesh domain and the airfoil overlap, once you click in the
vicinity of the airfoil ANSYS will select the C-Mesh domain but give you the
option of selecting multiple layers

Select the layer that corresponds to the airfoil and the airfoil will be highlighted.

Create Quadrants
In the final step of creating the geometry, we will break up the new surface into 4 quadrants; this
will be useful for when we want to mesh the geometry. To begin, select Plane 4 in the Tree
Outline Window, and click

. Open the sketching menu, and select

. Draw a line

on the vertical axis that intersects the entire C mesh. Trim away the lines that are beyond the CMesh, and you should be left with this:

Next, go to Concepts > Lines from Sketchs. Select the line you just drew and click Base
Objects > Apply, followed by

. Now that you have created a vertical line, create a

new sketch and repeat the process for a horizontal line that is collinear to horizontal axis and
bisects the geometry.

Now, we need to project the lines we just created onto the surface. Go to Tools >
Projection. Select Edges press Ctrl and select on the vertical line we drew (you'll have to
select both parts of it), then press Apply. Next, select Target and select the C-Mesh surface,
then click Apply.
Once you click

, you'll notice that the geometry is now composed of two surfaces split

by the line we selected. Repeat this process to create 2 more projections: one projection the
line left of the origin onto the left surface, and one projecting the right line on the right surface.
When you're finished, the geometry should be split into 4 parts.

The geometry is finished. Save the project and close the design modeler, as we are now we

are ready to create the mesh for the simulation.

Continue to Step 3 - Mesh
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Problem Specification
1. Pre-Analysis & Start-Up
2. Geometry
3. Mesh
4. Setup (Physics)
5. Solution
6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Mesh
Mapped Face Meshing
First, we will apply a mapped face meshing control to the geometry. In the Outline window,
click on M esh to bring up the Meshing Toolbar. In the Meshing Toolbar, select Mesh Control
> Mapped Face Meshing. Making sure the face selection filter is selected

, select all four

faces by holding down the right mouse button and dragging the mouse of all of the quadrants of
the geometry. When all of the faces are highlighted green, in the Details view Window select
Geometry > Apply. Next, select

Edge Sizing
Next, we will apply edge sizing controls to all of the edges of the mesh. To begin, go to Mesh
Control > Sizing. Next, click the edge selection filter
holding Ctrl and using the left mouse button:

. Select the following 4 edges buy

Click here to enlarge

Once the edges are selected, in the Details View Window select Geometry > Apply. Next,
select Type > Number of Divisions. Change the Number of Divisions to 50. Select
Behavior > Hard. We also want the mesh to have a bias, so select the first bias type: Bais
> ----- - -, and give the edge sizing a Bias Factor of 150. The Edge sizing should now
look like this:

Notice that the element sizes get smaller towards the airfoil. This will give us a better resolution
around the airfoil where the flow gets more complicated. Create a new edge sizing with the
same parameters, but choose the 4 remaining straight edges (see figure below). The number
of divisions will still be 50, but now will be selecting a different biasing type by selecting the

second Bias option: Bias > - - -----. Again, set the Bias Factor to 150

Edge Bias
It is important to make sure that the edge divisions to this point are biased
towards the center of the m esh: otherwise you may run into some
problems later. If your mesh does not match the pictures in the tutorial, make
sure to change the parameters of the mesh to make sure that they do: this
might mean choosing different edges for the different biasing types than those
outlined in this tutorial.
Finally, create a third edge sizing, and select the rounded edges as the geometry. Again, select
Type > Number of Divisions, and change Number of Divisions to 100. Select
Behavior > Hard. This time, we will not bias the edges.

Now, select Mesh > Generate to generate the mesh. It should look like this.

Click here to enlarge

Named Selections
Now will assign names to some of the edges to make creating boundary conditions for the
mesh easier. Let's recall the boundary conditions we planned in the Pre-Analysis Step:

The edges highlighted blue are the inlet, the edges highlighted red are the outlet, and the airfoil
is highlighted white in the middle. Now we are ready to name the sections. In the Outline
window, select geometry - this will make seeing the edges a little easier. Again make sure the
edge selection tool

is selected. Now, select the two vertical edges on the far right side of

the mesh. Right click, and select Create Named Selections. Name the edges outlet.
Next, select the edges that correspond to the inlet of the flow as defined by the picture above.
Again, right click and select Create Named Selections and this time name the selection
inlet. Finally, select the two edges making up the airfoil, and name the selection airfoil.
Go to Step 4 - Setup (Physics)
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5. Solution
6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Setup(Physics)

Launch the Solver

In this step, we will open fluent and define the boundary conditions of the problem. If you haven't
already, close the meshing window to return to the Project Outline window. Now, click
. This will load the mesh into FLUENT. Now, double click Setup. The Fluent
Launcher Window should open. Check the box marked Double Precision. To make the
solver run a little quicker, under Processing Options we will select Parallel and change the
Number of Processes to 2. This will allow users with a double core processor to utilize
both.

Select the Solver

Click OK to launch Fluent. The first thing we will do once Fluent launches is define the solver we
are going to use. Select Problem Setup > General. Under Solver, select DensityBased.

Models and Materials

Next, we will define the model we are going to use. We do this by going Problem Setup >
M odels > Viscous-Laminar. Then press Edit... This will open the Viscous M odel Menu
Window. Select Inviscid and press OK. Now, we will specify characteristics of the fluid.
Because we specified the fluid as inviscid, we will only have to define the density of the fluid. To
make matters even simpler, we are only looking for non-dimensionalized values like pressure
coefficient, so we will define the density of our fluid to be 1 kg/m^3. To define the density, click
Problem Setup > M aterials > (double click) Air. This will launch the Create/Edit
M aterials window.

Under Properties, ensure that density is set to Constant and enter 1 kg/m^3as the
density. Click Change/Create to set the density.

Boundary Conditions
Inlet
Now that the fluid has been described, we are ready to set the boundary conditions of the
simulation. Bring up the boundary conditions menu by selecting Problem Setup >
Boundary Conditions. In the Boundary Conditions window, look under Zones. First,
let's set the boundary conditions for the inlet. Select Inlet to see the details of the boundary
condition. The boundary condition type should have defaulted to velocity-inlet: if it didn't,
select it. Now, click Edit to bring up the Velocity-Inlet Window. We need to specify the
magnitude and direction of the velocity. Select Velocity Specification M ethod >
Components. Remember, we want the flow to enter the inlet at an angle of 6 degrees since
the angle of attack of the airfoil is 6 degrees; thus, the x velocity will be
be

, and the y velocity will

. Specify X-Velocity as 0.9945 m/sand Y-Velocity as 0.1045 m/s. When you

have finished specifying the velocity as entering the inlet at 6 degrees (the same thing as
having an angle of attack of 6 degrees), press OK

Outlet
In the Boundary Conditions window, look under Zones. Select Outlet to see the details of
the boundary condition. The boundary condition type should have defaulted to pressureoutlet: if it didn't, select it. Click Edit, and ensure that the Gauge Pressure is defaulted to
0. If it is, you may close this window.
Airfoil
In the Boundary Conditions window, look under Zones and select airfoil. Select Type >
Wall if it hasn't been defaulted.

Reference Values
The final thing to do before we move on to solution is to acknowledge the reference values. Go
to Problem Setup > Reference Values. In the Reference Values Window, select
Compute From > Inlet. Check the reference values that appear to make sure they are as
we have already set them.
Go to Step 5 - Solution
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Author: Benjamin Mullen, Cornell University
Problem Specification
1. Pre-Analysis & Start-Up
2. Geometry
3. Mesh
4. Setup (Physics)
5. Solution
6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Solution
Methods
First, go to Solution > Solution M ethods. Everything in this section should have defaulted
to what we want, but let's make sure that under Flow the selection is Second Order
Upwind. If this is the selection, we may move on.

Monitors
Now we are ready to begin solving the simulation. Before we hit solve though, we need to set
up some parameters for how Fluent will solve the simulation.
Let's begin by going to Solution > M onitors. In the M onitors Window, look under
Residuals, Statistic, and Force Monitors. Select Residuals - Print,Plot and press Edit.
In the Residual M onitors Window, we want to change all of the Absolute Criteria to 1e6. This will give us some further trust in our solution.

Initial Guess
Now, we need to initialize the solution. Go to Solution > Solution Initialization. In the
Solution Initialization Window, select Compute From > Inlet. Ensure the values that
appear are the same values we inputted in Step 5. If the are, initialize the solution by clicking
Initialize.

Solve
Once the solution has been initialized, we are ready to solve the simulation. Go to Solution >
Run Calculation. Change Number of Iterations to 3000, then double click Calculate.
Sit back and twiddle your thumbs until Fluent spits out a converged solution.
Continue to Step 6 - Results
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4. Setup (Physics)
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6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Results
Velocity
First, we will look at the velocity vectors of the solution to see if the make intuitive sense. To plot
the velocity vectors, go to Results > Graphics and Animations. In the Graphics and
Anim ations Window, select Vectors and click Set Up.... This will bring up the Vectors
Menu.

Make sure the settings of the menu match the figure above: namely Vectors of > Velocity,
Color by > Velocity, and set the second box as Velocity M agnitude. To see the velocity
vectors, press Display.

Pressure Contours
To view the pressure contours over the entire mesh, go to Results > Graphics and
Animations again, and in the Graphics and Anim ations Window, select Contours.
Click Set Up... to bring up the Contours Menu. Check the box next to Filled. Under
Contours Of, ensure that the two boxes that are selected are Pressure... and Static
Pressure.

Once these parameters are set, press Display to see the pressure contours.

Streamlines
To view the streamlines, keep the Contours window open, and change the Contours Of box
to Velocity, and the box below to Stream Function. Change Levels to 100. Also,
uncheck the box marked Auto Range, and set M in(kg/s) to 13.11, and M ax(kg/s) to
14.16

To view the streamlines, press Display

Pressure Coefficient
Next, we will plot the pressure coefficient along the surface of the airfoil. Click on Results >
Plots to open up the Plots Window. Under Plots, select XY Plot, and click Set Up.... In the
window that pops up, change the settings Y-Axis Function > Pressure, and change the
second box to Pressure Coefficient. Ensure X-Axis Function > Direction Vector.
Under Surfaces, select airfoil. See the figure below for help.

When all the settings are correct, press Plot to plot the data to the command window. To save
the data to a text file, check the box next to Write to File. You'll notice that the Plot button has
been replaced by a button marked Write..., click it. Change the file type to All Files and save
the file name as Pressure_Coefficient.txt

Coefficients of Lift and Drag

To find the Coefficients of Lift and Drag, click Results > Reports to bring up the Reports
Window. In the Reports Window, select Forces and click Set Up.... This will bring up the
Force Reports menu

We need to set the parameters so drag across the airfoil (keep in mind, which is at an angle)
will be displayed. In the Force Reports window change the Direction Vector such that X >
.9945and Y > .1045. Click Print to print the drag coefficient to the command window. To
print the lift coefficient, in the Force Reports window change the Direction Vector such that

X > -.1045and Y > .9945. Again, press Print.

Go to Step 7 - Verification and Validation
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6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Verification and Validation

Verification
One of the ways we can verify our data is by refining the mesh. Open up the mesh, and
increase the Number of Divisions for Edge Sizing and Edge Sizing 2 to 100. Click
M esh in the Outline window, and in the Details window, expand statistics. The number of
elements should now be 40000.

Click here to enlarge

Exit out of the mesher. First, right click Setup and select Reset. Then click

in

the project schematic. Open up the solver, and solve the simulation using the same solver and
boundary conditions (you'll have to input them again), but this time change the number of
iterations to 5000. Again, calculate the force coefficients and graph the pressure coefficient.

Validation
To validate our data, we will take a compare the data from actual experiment.
Unrefined Mesh Refined Mesh Experimental Data
Lift Coeffient

0.6315

0.6670

0.6630

Drag Coefficient

0.0122

0.0063

0.0090

Below is a graph displaying the comparing Coefficient of Pressure along the airfoil for the
experimental data and the CFD simulation. The data is from Gregory & O'Reilly, NASA R&M
3726, Jan 1970.

Click here to see an enlarged image

As we can see from the table and the graph, the CFD matches the data fairly well. There are
inaccuracies from factors like our assumption that the flow was inviscid, but we still managed to
extract some meaningful information from the simulation.
Go to Exercises
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4. Setup (Physics)
5. Solution
6. Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises

Exercises
Consider the low-speed airflow over the NACA 0012 airfoil at low angles of attack. The
Reynolds number based on the chord is Rec = 2.88 10^6. This flow can reasonably be
modeled as incompressible and inviscid.
1. Incompressible, Inviscid Model
Explain why the incompressible, inviscid model for this ow should yield lift coefficient values
that match well with experiment but will yield a drag coefficient that is always zero.

2. Boundary Value Problem

What is the boundary value problem (BVP) you need to solve to obtain the velocity and
pressure distributions for this ow at an angle of attack of 10 degrees? Indicate governing
equations, domain and boundary conditions (u = 0 at a certain boundary etc.). For each of the
boundary conditions, indicate also the corresponding boundary type that you need to select in
FLUENT.
3. Coefficient of Pressure
Run a simulation for the NACA 0012 airfoil at angles of attack at 0 degrees and 10 degrees for
two cases: a mesh with 15000 elements and a mesh with 40000 elements. Plot the pressure
coefficient obtained from FLUENT on the same plot as data obtained from experiment The
experimental data is from Gregory & OReilly, NASA R&M 3726, Jan 1970 and is provided
here Follow the aeronautical convention of flipping the vertical axis so that negative Cp values
are above and positive Cp values are below. This can be done in MATLAB using set(gca,
YDir, reverse);
4. Lift and Drag Coefficient
Obtain the lift and drag coefficients from the FLUENT results on the two meshes. Compare
these with experimental or expected values (present this comparison as a table). The
experimental values for 0 degree angle of attack are: Cl = 0.025; Cd = 0.0069, and the
experimental values for 10 degree angle of attack are: Cl = 1.2219; Cd = 0.0138.
Conclusions
Comment on the comparison with experiment for the two angles of attack. Also,comment on the
effect of mesh refinement. How does the pressure distribution over the airfoil change on
increasing the angle of attack?
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