LOW SPEED FLOW PAST AN 

AIRFOIL  

LAB REPORT  

Submitted by  

ABHISHEK KANTHED (150010031)  

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree  

Of  

Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.)  

In  

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING  

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BOMBAY  

AUGUST 2018 

 
 
 
 
S.NO.  TITLE  PAGE NO. 

  LIST OF TABLES   

  LIST OF FIGURES   

  LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & SYMBOLS USED   

  ABSTRACT   

1  INTRODUCTION   

1.1  OBJECTIVES OF THE EXPERIMENT   

1.2  BASIC UNDERSTANDING (THEORY OF AIRFOIL)   

1.3  EXPECTED LEARNING   

2  EXPERIMENTAL SETUP   

2.1  WIND TUNNEL SETUP   

2.2  INSTRUMENTATION   

2.3  SURFACE MEASUREMENT SETUP   

2.4  WAKE ZONE MEASUREMENT SETUP   

2.5  NACA 0012 AIRFOIL SPECIFICATIONS   

2.6  PRELIMINARY CALCULATIONS   

3  METHODOLOGY   

3.1  PRELIMINARY CHECKS   

3.2  SURFACE PRESSURE ​MEASUREMENT (α = -6​o​, -4​o​, -2​o​, 0​o​, 2​o​, 4​o​, 6​o​, 8​o​)   

3.3  WAKE ZONE MEASUREMENT ​(α = -2​o​, 0​o​, 4​o​, 8​o​)   

3.4  DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS   

4  RESULTS AND DISCUSSION   

4.1  Cp (Actual) V/s X/C for Various AOA   

4.2  A​OA (Vs.) C​L, CD, CM, X_cp, CL/CD ​27   

4.3  Velocity at wake region for various AOA   

4.4  Cd (Total) & Cd(Friction)   

5  CONCLUSION AND ADDITIONAL LEARNING   

 
 I. LIST OF TABLES  

i. Table-1 : Surface Pressure measurement & Cp Calculation (Sample for -6 deg.)  

ii. Table-2 : Dp measurement in wake zone for various α & V(y) Calculation(Sample Reading for -2 deg.) 

II. LIST OF FIGURES  

i. Fig.1. Boundary Layer Separation Over An Airfoil  

ii. Fig.2. Schematic of a typical Airfoil 

iii. Fig.3. Schematic of an open circuit wind tunnel & Real Time flow over an airfoil using smoke 
photography 

iv. Fig.4. Wind tunnel setup in our laboratory  

v. Fig.5. Surface Pressure measurement setup in our laboratory  

vi. Fig.6. Surface Pressure measurement tappings  

vii. Fig.7. Wake Zone measurement setup in our laboratory  

viii. Fig.8. Theoretical Curves for NACA0012 Airfoil (Source-Xfoil)  

ix. Fig.9. Cp(Actual) (Vs.) AOA  

x. Fig.10. C​L, C​
​ D, C​
​ M, X​
​ _cp,​ C​L​/C​D (vs)
​ AOA  

xi. Fig.11. V(y) (vs) y at various AOA 

III. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & SYMBOLS USED  

i. C​P ​– Pressure Coefficient, α - Angle of attack in Degree 

ii. C​D​(Total) - Total Drag induced to the flow by airfoil 

iii. C​D​(Pressure) - Form (or) Pressure Drag Coefficient  

iv. C​D​(Skin Friction) - Skin friction Drag Coefficient  

v. C​L ​– Coefficient of Lift, C​M​ – Coefficient of Pitching Moment  

ABSTRACT  

An airfoil, in many respects is the heart of an airplane. It affects cruise speed, stall speed, takeoff and 
landing distances, etc. We are interested in the aerodynamic characteristics of an airfoil such as 
coefficients of lift, drag and pitching moment. We used a low speed wind tunnel available in the 
department to find out the variation of pressure/skin friction on its upper and lower surfaces, useful 
range of angles of attack and variation of lift, drag and pitching moment coefficients in that range. 
We also verified experimentally that aerodynamic centre exits and found its location. 

Otto Lilienthal, the famous German aviation pioneer was the first person to define and use 
aerodynamic coefficients. Lilienthal introduced the normal and tangential coefficients versus angle of 
attack. After Lilienthal, Samuel Langley at the Smithsonian Institution published whirling arm data for 
the resultant aerodynamic force on a flat plate as a function of angle of attack. Wright brothers used 
Lilienthal tables for the design of their early gliders. They preferred to deal in terms of lift and drag, 
and used expressions patterned after Lilienthal and Langley to define lift and drag coefficients. By 
the end of World War I, Prandtl (Gottingen University) established the nomenclature that is standard 
today. Prandtl did pioneering work on airfoil and wing aerodynamics, and developed boundary layer 
theory.  

OBJECTIVES OF EXPERIMENT : 

In this test, the low speed flow over a symmetric airfoil NACA0012 is experimented with the 
following objectives : 
1. To understand the characteristics of incompressible flow over a Symmetric airfoil 
NACA0012 at various angles of attacks. 
2. Estimation of pressure Coefficient (C​P )​ & Pressure drag coefficient C​D ​obtained for 
various angles of attack at a Section of airfoil (assuming 2D condition) 
3. Estimation of total drag C​D​(Total) in flow domain due the airfoil &​ ​calculate C​D(Skin Friction) 
Friction drag Coefficient. 
4. Estimate C​L​ – Coefficient of Lift, C​M​ – Coefficient of Pitching Moment, C​M(C/4)​ – Coefficient of Pitching 
Moment at one fourth of chord. 
5. Find Centre of pressure X_cp based on C​L​, C​M​ about leading edge. 
6. Plot between the following & compare with other similar experiments through literature study:  
i. Cp (Vs.) X/C for all AOA & C​L (Vs.)
​ AOA 
ii. C​D​(Pressure) (Vs.) AOA  
iii. C​M​(Vs.) AOA  
iv. C​M(C/4​)(Vs.) AOA  
v. X_cp (Vs.) AOA  
vi. V(Y) (Vs.) Angle of attack(α)  
vii. C​D​(Total) ; C​D​(Skin Friction) ; C​D​(Pressure) (Vs.) AOA for 3 angles for​ which
​ wake measurements 
have taken. 
 
BASIC UNDERSTANDING (THEORY OF AIRFOIL)  
 
In this experiment we have made a study of Low Speed Flow Past a symmetric Airfoil in a uniform 
stream. This is done in a wind tunnel using conventional instrumentation, using a Pitot static probe, static 
pressure ports, and adjustment setups for measurements at various points. A body immersed in flow 
field is under exposure of both viscous forces and pressure forces. The sum of forces that acts normal to 
the free stream direction is the Lift & the sum of forces that acts parallel to the free stream direction is 
the drag. In this experiment, flow was visualized and analyzed as an incompressible 2-Dimensional flow 
since velocity of airflow was 10m/s. 
AIRFOIL SPECIFICATIONS 
 
The airfoil used for our study is Eppler 423. 
• The maximum camber is 9.5% of C at 41.4% of C. 
• The maximum thickness is 12.5% of C at 23.7% of C. 
• The chord ‘C’ of this airfoil was 203.2 mm (8 inches). 
 

 
     
 
 
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP & METHODOLOGY:  

Majority of experimental data needed in aerodynamics is generated using wind tunnels. Wind Tunnel is 
a device for producing airflow relative to the body under test. Wind tunnels provide uniform flow 
conditions in their test section. 

 
Fig.4.Wind tunnel setup in our laboratory 
  

There are 16 tappings on top & 16 on bottom from which the bundle of tubes had  

been taken and connected to pressure channels individual for both top & bottom  

tappings respectively. 

Experimental Setup: 

2. Height gauge 

Fig 5.2: Digital height gauge (But we used analog) 

 3. A suction type low speed wind tunnel 

Fig 5.4: Schematic diagram of wind tunnel control system 

4. Manometer 

Fig 5.5: Digital manometer 

5. Spirit level to measure angle 

Fig 5.6: Spirit level 

 6. Speed control system to vary the velocity inside the tunnel 

7. Pitot tube 

Fig 5.7: Laboratory Pitot tube 

Procedure: 
Pressure distribution on airfoil surface: 

1. Keep the airfoil inside the suction type wind tunnel. 

2. Measure the real time ambient pressure and temperature readings to find out the density of air. 

3. Find the dynamic pressure at the prescribed velocity. Set the velocity using manometer and wind 
tunnel control system. 

4. Measure the static pressure on the upper and lower surfaces at all the stations. 

5. Do the above steps for prescribed angle of attack. 

Wake measurement: 

1. After setting the velocity, measure the difference between the pressure of the flow downstream of 
airfoil and the ambient pressure using a differential manometer, at various y locations. 

2. For non-wake region, vary the y location in steps of 3 or 5 mm and for wake region vary it in the 
steps of 1 mm. 

 
FORMULAS USED:  

 
  

 
The control volume for obtaining drag on a two dimensional body is

Cd = D’/(q​∞​c(1)) 
 
RESULTS & DISCUSSION  

Experiment extended to 3 days so according to ambient pressure and temperature condition flow 
velocity 10m/s at test section settled down before starting experiment (Data shown in Table-1). 

 
  

For 9 angle of attacks (-6° to 10°) Cp vs x/c plot extracted from experiment and it is shown in 
Table 2. 
 
  

Scatter plot of Cp Vs x/c  

Cp plot for -6° shows negative lift as there is high pressure on upper surface and lower pressure on 
lower surface(-ve Cp). According to available results from theoretical calculation this trend is true for 
all negative angles of attack. 
 
CONCLUSION :  

1. Cl and Cd increase with angle of attack, as expected. 

 2. The acquired data is insufficient to find the stall angle of attack. 

3. The wake profile broadens as the angle of attack increases. 

4. X​Cp​ shifts towards the leading as alpha is increased. The forward surface is the major contributor to 
the lift when the flow separates from aft. 

5. C​m,c/4​ remains almost constant as alpha is varied. 

References: 

1. Chapter 1 and 2, Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, JD Anderson. 

2. Lecture Notes 2, MA 214 - Introduction to Numerical Analysis 

3. Google images. 

4. Reference Lab Report.