SIMULATION OF TURBULENT AIRFLOW OF A NACA 23012 AIRFOIL BASED ON THE SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS APPROACH

This paper investigates the behavior of turbulent airflow around the NACA 23012 wing to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of a helicopter blade. The fluid-solid interaction, influenced by the rotational speed and blade geometry, creates complex pressure differences in the impact area on the blade surface. An analytical study was conducted to determine the aerodynamic loads acting on the helicopter blade. A finite element model was developed to calculate their natural frequencies and mode shapes, and the blade reaction forces were analyzed as well. Lift and drag coefficients were calculated for different angles of attack, ranging from 0° to 20°, corresponding to a Reynolds number Re = 10<sup>6</sup> and a Mach number M = 0.12. Time variations were not considered in the simulation, and the atmospheric pressure and airflow velocity were assumed to be constant. Comparisons between these computational fluid dynamics simulations and NASA experimental data showed a close agreement, with a margin of error of less than 4%. In addition, the results regarding the airfoil surface temperature due to air particle friction indicated that the nominal heat flux did not exceed 200 W, and therefore the flow reconnection occurred across all modulation frequencies. This study provides valuable insights into the aerodynamic behavior of helicopter blades under different operating conditions.