Lift and Drag on an Airfoil
Course Number and Name:
Me 646 Experimental Measurement & Data Analysis
Semester and Year:
Spring ‘12
Name of Lab Instructor:
Professor Goulet
Lab Section and Meeting Time:
Section 4 Thurs. 2:10 PM
Report Type:
Internal Report
Title of Experiment:
Aerodynamic Lab: Lift and Drag on an Airfoil
Date Experiment Performed:
03/29/2012
Date Report Submitted:
04/12/2012
Names of Group Members:
Grader 's Comments:
Michael Stevens
Grade:
Abstract:
The Aerodynamics Lab: Lift and Drag on an Airfoil experiment examined the lift and drag on a NACA 0012 airfoil inside a wind tunnel. The objective of the experiment was to obtain information relating to the lift and drag of the airfoil, such as lift forces, lift coefficients, drag forces including its contributors, and drag coefficients. The data was analyzed using Matlab by two different methods, through pressure distributions, and through a force balance. Approximations of the lift and drag data to compare with the experiment results were attempted to test which methods were effective, or not effective.
These approximations were conducted using a Javafoil simulation, and also using thin airfoil theory.
The lift forces calculated from the pressure distribution measurements were slightly higher than the directly measured forces from the force balance, however, the pressure distribution measurements followed the same trend as the force balance data.
This represented a calibration error in the pressure distribution measurements.
Calculations gave a maximum coefficient of lift of
. The drag data showed that form drag was the largest contributor to total drag, with skin friction drag and induced drag having only small contributions. Javafoil simulations gave similar results of coefficients of lift for the given airfoil, of which closely matched the force balance data. It was determined that thin airfoil theory is only acceptable for a rough estimate at angles of attack of up
Me 646 Experimental Measurement & Data Analysis
Semester and Year:
Spring ‘12
Name of Lab Instructor:
Professor Goulet
Lab Section and Meeting Time:
Section 4 Thurs. 2:10 PM
Report Type:
Internal Report
Title of Experiment:
Aerodynamic Lab: Lift and Drag on an Airfoil
Date Experiment Performed:
03/29/2012
Date Report Submitted:
04/12/2012
Names of Group Members:
Grader 's Comments:
Michael Stevens
Grade:
Abstract:
The Aerodynamics Lab: Lift and Drag on an Airfoil experiment examined the lift and drag on a NACA 0012 airfoil inside a wind tunnel. The objective of the experiment was to obtain information relating to the lift and drag of the airfoil, such as lift forces, lift coefficients, drag forces including its contributors, and drag coefficients. The data was analyzed using Matlab by two different methods, through pressure distributions, and through a force balance. Approximations of the lift and drag data to compare with the experiment results were attempted to test which methods were effective, or not effective.
These approximations were conducted using a Javafoil simulation, and also using thin airfoil theory.
The lift forces calculated from the pressure distribution measurements were slightly higher than the directly measured forces from the force balance, however, the pressure distribution measurements followed the same trend as the force balance data.
This represented a calibration error in the pressure distribution measurements.
Calculations gave a maximum coefficient of lift of
. The drag data showed that form drag was the largest contributor to total drag, with skin friction drag and induced drag having only small contributions. Javafoil simulations gave similar results of coefficients of lift for the given airfoil, of which closely matched the force balance data. It was determined that thin airfoil theory is only acceptable for a rough estimate at angles of attack of up
References: [2] White, C. 2012. Aerodynamics Lab. ME 646 Handout. University of New Hampshire.