Wall-resolved large eddy simulations of a pitching NACA0012 incurring in deep dynamic stall

This study investigates the flow evolution past a pitching NACA0012 airfoil undergoing deep dynamic stall using a wall-resolved large eddy simulation approach. Numerical results are validated against experimental data from Lee and Gerontakos at Reynolds number Re = 135 000 and a reduced frequency k = 0.1. A comprehensive analysis of the computational grid span size is presented, highlighting the critical requirement for a span-to-chord ratio of at least one. Furthermore, a comparative assessment with state-of-the-art RANS and hybrid RANS/LES turbulence models is conducted to identify the sources of potential discrepancies between the numerical simulations and the experimental data. All the numerical models demonstrate the same behavior and exhibit similar differences with the experiments.