Numerical investigations into the asymmetric effects on the aerodynamic response of a pitching airfoil

The effects of asymmetric sinusoidal motion on pitching airfoil aerodynamics were studied by numerical simulations for 2-D flow around a NACA0012 airfoil at Re = 1.35 x 10(5). Various unsteady parameters (amplitude of oscillation, d; reduced frequency, k) were applied to investigate the effect of asymmetry parameter S on the instantaneous force coefficients and flow patterns. The results reveal that S has a noticeable effect on the aerodynamic performance, as it affects the instantaneous force coefficient, maximum lift and drag coefficient, hysteresis loops and the flow structures. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.