Optimization of Vortex Generator Placement for Enhanced NACA 2412 Airfoil Performance – A Numerical Study

There are four fundamental forces on aircraft when it flies: lift, drag, thrust, and weight. For an Aircraft to fly, its wings generate sufficient lift to overcome the weight of the aircraft. The wings are the main components that generate enough lift by their shape called an airfoil. A common technique to boost lift is introducing turbulence, having more kinetic energy, keeping the airflow attached to the wing longer near the trailing edge of the wing. Thus, this delays the separation over the wing. The increased momentum in the boundary layer allows it to handle adverse pressure gradients, and adding a turbulence generator on its uppermost layer increases the lift significantly. A vortex generator is a particular tool that helps in accelerating the change from a smooth to a turbulent boundary layer. Applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, this study analyses the effects of vortex generators on the NACA-2412 airfoil's aerodynamic performance. The main objective is to study the impact of applying straight-type vortex generators on the lift coefficient. This can be achieved by comparing an airfoil with vortex generators at different angles of attack. The vortex generators are located between 15 and 30% of the chord length toward the leading edge, and the angles of attack used are -5, -10, 0º, 5º, and 10º. The data indicate that the lift coefficient is greater with the vortex generator than with a normal airfoil and increases with angle of attack. The greatest improvement was observed at 5º, where the lift increased by 8–13%. By decreasing drag, the amount of thrust reduces fuel consumption, and emission is reduced, this improvement could improve sustainability and efficiency of the system.