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2D NACA 4412 Airfoil Trailing Edge Separation Validation Case

SA-RC Model Results
 

Link to SA-RC equations

SA-RC - surface pressure coefficients SA-RC - u-velocities near trailing edge

SA-RC - v-velocities near trailing edge SA-RC - u'v' near trailing edge

SA-RC - u-velocity contour map with streamlines SA-RC - surface skin friction coefficients

Note that thorough grid studies were not performed for validation cases such as this one. Some effort was made to ensure reasonable grid resolutions, but there may still be small noticeable discretization errors. Therefore, these validation results shown should be considered representative, but not "truth."

The plots shown compare the SA-RC results from two independent CFD codes: CFL3D and FUN3D, along with experimental data. Uref in the plots has been scaled as described on the 2D NACA 4412 Airfoil Trailing Edge Separation Case Intro Page. Both CFL3D and FUN3D used freestream value of the SA turbulence field variable (relative to laminar)=3. Please read note 5 on Notes on running CFD page. These results are from the second-finest grid (897x257). Both codes gave nearly identical results to each other. On this grid level, standard lift and drag coefficients based on the freestream conditions listed on the Intro Page were:

Furthermore, CFD surface pressure and skin friction coefficients shown in the plots above were based on the freestream conditions. Note that these are compressible code results at "essentially incompressible" conditions of M=0.09. There may be a very small influence of compressibility. The data files from CFL3D are given here: n4412_cfl3d_cp_sarc.dat, n4412_cfl3d_vel_sarc.dat, n4412_cfl3d_uv_sarc.dat, n4412_cfl3d_cfupper_sarc.dat. (Note: the profiles have been interpolated using Tecplot software onto pre-set points, that may or may not correspond to the actual grid points or grid cells used in the computation.) A typical CFL3D input file is: n4412_cfl3d_typical_sarc.inp. A typical FUN3D input file is: fun3d.nml_typical_sarc.

It is important to note that the experimental u, v, and u'v' data were nondimensionalized with respect to a non-traditional velocity at a location only about 1 chord below and behind the airfoil. This is different from a traditional "freestream" value. As a result, u/Uinf and v/Uinf values from CFD need to be divided by roughly 0.93 in order to be comparable to the experimental normalization u/Uref (where Uinf is the usual farfield freestream value and Uref is the experimental reference location). Similarly, u'v'/(Uinf2) turbulence values from CFD need to be divided by approximately 0.932. However, the surface pressure coefficients from CFD agree better with the experiment on the airfoil lower surface when no such correction is made (the matching of the lower surface Cp is often used as a way to determine whether or not the flow conditions are consistent). The reason for this inconsistency is not known. Therefore, all comparisons for this case should only be viewed in a qualitative sense. Neither the surface pressure coefficients nor the surface skin friction coefficients from the CFD have been adjusted.


 
 

Jump to: SA ResultsSSTm ResultsBSLm ResultsWilcox2006-klim-m ResultsEASMko2003-S ResultsK-e-Rt ResultsGLVY-RSM-2012 Results

Return to: 2D NACA 4412 Airfoil Trailing Edge Separation Case Intro Page

Return to: Turbulence Modeling Resource Home Page


 
 


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Last Updated: 03/13/2025