Experimental and computational investigation of low Reynolds number aerodynamic characteristics of fixed wings relevant to micro air vehicle (MAVs)

Abstract

The low Reynolds number flows (Re) have different aerodynamic properties that create a lot of challenges for designer. The multiple design methodologies were presented and analysed for designing of low-Reynolds-number airfoil. The similarities between a modern Formula One (F1) racing car and an aeroplane are practically identical. Sports teams invest millions of dollars annually in field research to create and enhance a vehicle's aerodynamic performance. The F1 car rear wing uses NACA 2408 which gives better performance in both high and low Reynolds conditions The research related to NACA 2408 airfoil at low Reynolds number are very limited. This research paper focusses on steady wing aerodynamics analysis and flight characteristics of micro air vehicles (MAVs). The performance of NACA 2408 is investigated experimentally and computationally is the primary goal of our effort. The research looks at the performance of the NACA 2408 and examines factors like flow separation, lift, drag, pressure, velocity contour. This NACA 2408 series is compared with the conventionally used NACA 2412 and NACA 4402 series in MAV design point of view. For design and analysis, the overall methodology employs ANSYS, XFOIL and MATLAB. The 3D printing techniques used for making wing section. The subsonic wind tunnel was used for experimental validation. This also allows designers to create new positive airfoils which are critical for enhancing a MAV efficiency and performance in terms of increased lift and decreased drag under low Reynolds number circumstances.