Separation bubble

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by Fidippide, Sep 15, 2009.

  1. Fidippide
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    Fidippide New Member

    How can I display separation bubble with XFOIL on the surface of a NACA simmetric 4 digit profile? Thanks.
     
  2. tspeer
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    tspeer Senior Member

    The boundary layer calculation in XFOIL is an integral method, so it doesn't actually calculate the details of the flow in a separation bubble the way, say, a Navier Stokes code would do. Instead, it calculates parameters that determine the overall characteristics of the boundary layer.

    You can often spot the separation bubble in the pressure distribution. It will be characterized by a nearly flat spot that extends out from the inviscid distribution, then rapidly drops to the inviscid distribution after transition occurs within the bubble. Here's an example:
    [​IMG]

    From the OPER menu, you can go to the VPLO menu and plot the skin friction. The skin friction will be negative or zero in the region of separated flow. The shape factor (H) plot can also be useful.

    The BL command from the OPER menu will plot boundary layer velocity profiles. Or use the BLC to plot a specific velocity profile on the airfoil of the CPX plot. Look for profiles with inflection points.
     
  3. Petros
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    Petros Senior Member

    Many years ago when I worked in aerodynamics with the early 2-D and 3-D main frame programs, we would create a foil shape by combining the foil with the attached separation bubble, estimated from the stream line data and the method Tom outlined above. this gave strange, really thick sections, but it worked.

    The program would build the boundary layer over the outside of the combined separation bubble and airfoil shape to approximate the actual airflow. It gave fairly good approximations of the lift and moment coefficients, the drag was never very accurate. If I recall, X-foil is a fairly simple program that might work the same way.
     
  4. daiquiri
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    daiquiri Engineering and Design

    It sounds to me like you have created Stratford pressure distribution over the airfoil. If so, the final result you had obtained must have been something like Liebeck's airfoil shape?
     

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  5. Petros
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    Petros Senior Member

    That looks about right, but there was a think surface trailing way behind the TE from the separated flow causing a very thick boundary layer.
     
  6. tspeer
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    tspeer Senior Member

    XFOIL has an inviscid panel code coupled with an inverse integral boundary layer method. The boundary layer method specifies the skin friction at the surface and calculates the resulting pressures. The boundary layer and the outer flow solution are iterated together to converge on the solution. The boundary layer method is basically the same as used in the ISES & MSES codes. It is capable of handling limited amounts of separation, where direct boundary layer methods (that calculate the skin friction given the pressures) cannot. This is a much more sophisticated capability than the earlier methods of loosely coupling the boundary layer and outer flow solutions.

    ISES/MSES use an Euler method for the outer flowfield instead of potential flow, which gives them the ability to handle compressible flows better. But at low speeds, XFOIL is state of the art.
     
  7. daiquiri
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    daiquiri Engineering and Design

    Can someone please tell me if there is a GUI version of XFOIL available?
    Also, do you know if any research has been done in order to verify the degree of error given by XFOIL when treating flows separated at leading/trailing edge, and flows with separation bubbles?
     
  8. tspeer
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    tspeer Senior Member

  9. Doug Halsey
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    Doug Halsey Senior Member

    I've recently started using Xfoil & am interested in seeing validation cases for foils in the Reynolds number range 500,000 to 2,000,000. The previous post is 5 years old now & none of the links are still active. Can anyone recommend anything current?
     
  10. Skyak
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    Skyak Senior Member

    Doug,
    I am not sure what your background or needs are but it sounds like your request needs some work. There is nothing in your question that indicates Xfoil would be a bad tool, but it sounds like you are looking for something that will tell you how accurate it is when the truth is that xfoil is a tool who's value depends on the skill of the user.

    Xfoil uses the panel method -which is simply proven mathematically. The error and estimation comes from the boundary layer development, and this is dependent on the case and conditions. If you just want case studies google
    "xfoil boundary layer thickness estimation"
    This is where you will find help applying xfoil to your real case -which is not an infinite 2D foil section in an infinite steady parallel flow. The panel method and Xflow are simple enough to be understood and computationally efficient so it is the first tool you use to develop your profile.

    To understand the theory behind aerodynamic modeling I would recommend you take one of the (MIT) beginning aerodynamics classes available on EdX.
     
  11. Doug Halsey
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    Doug Halsey Senior Member

    Skyak : I ask for some references for code validation & you suggest I should take a beginning course in aerodynamics? Give me a break !
     

  12. Skyak
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    Skyak Senior Member

    Doug,
    you asked the question, I just gave the answer.
    Introductory aerodynamics is where the accuracy and limitations of the method are covered. There are different methods of boundary layer estimation -google will lead you to comparisons. If you question the programmers ability you know where to find them.

    The answer is basic I admit, but that is where it is.
    <removed>
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2014
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