Influence of Mach Number on the Aerodynamic Performance of a Biconvex Airfoil

This study concentrated on numerically simulating the behavior of a biconvex airfoil under compressible flow conditions. A turbulent, two-dimensional, compressible steady flow is considered. The study entails examining the biconvex airfoil's aerodynamic properties as the Mach number increases. The flow turbulence was predicted by the simulations using the SST k-ω viscous modelling and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. Under turbulent and steady-state flow conditions, simulations were done using commercial ANSYS FLUENT software. Both viscid and inviscid flows were considered. Validation is done with the help of existing literature. Mesh independency test is done. Visualization is also done to understand the flow conditions clearly. The simulations were done for Mach number 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5. According to the findings, the coefficient of lift rises as the angle of attack increases but falls as the Mach number increases. The delay of boundary layer separation causes the flow separation to lag as the Mach number rises. As the angle of attack increases, the coefficient of drag also rises. For both viscid and inviscid flows, the stall angle changes from 24° to 28° as the Mach number rises from Ma=1.1 to 1.5. The airfoil shows maximum aerodynamic performance at Ma = 1.1 with the highest magnitude of coefficient of lift.