Computational Study of Airfoil Aerodynamics in Subsonic Flow Using ANSYS Fluent

This study investigates the aerodynamic characteristics of a tapered wing with a NACA 0012 airfoil under subsonic, inviscid flow conditions at a Mach number of 0.2.The wing has an 8-meter span, with a root chord of 1 meter and a tip chord of 0.33 meters, and exhibits a varying incidence angle at the tip of 20 degrees.The analysis focuses on the distribution of lift and its relationship with the angle of attack along the wing span.Using thin airfoil theory, the lift coefficient (CL) is calculated for both local and global angles of attack, revealing a non-uniform lift distribution across the span.The root generates less lift than the tip, especially at higher angles of attack, due to the varying local angle of attack and the taper of the wing.The study also highlights the impact of the wing's taper and incidence variation on the aerodynamic efficiency, with a potential increase in induced drag and flow separation risks at the wingtip.The results emphasize the need for careful optimization of wing geometry and incidence distribution to achieve uniform lift generation, reduce drag, and improve aerodynamic performance.Future studies could explore more advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to validate the findings and optimize wing design for specific flight conditions.