The Effect of Rotation on The Boundary Layer Separation

Abstract

In this study, flow control on a NACA 0012 airfoil is investigated under various rotational speeds at a Reynolds number of Re = 3.6 × 10⁵. The commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, ANSYS Fluent, is utilized to perform the simulations. Both rotating and non-rotating cases are examined at a fixed angle of attack of 18° to assess the effects of rotation on aerodynamic performance

To analyze the stall-delay phenomenon in rotating airfoils, a combination of boundary layer theory, numerical simulations, and experimental measurements is employed. The results indicate that rotation significantly influences the flow behavior by delaying the onset of flow separation compared to the stationary (non-rotating) two-dimensional case. This rotational effect contributes to improved aerodynamic stability and lift characteristics, highlighting the potential of rotational motion as a passive flow control method for enhancing airfoil performance in relevant engineering applications.