Computational Flow Investigation on NACA 16-006 Airfoil at Varying Angle of Attack using Ansys Fluent

Abstract

The aerodynamic performance of thin, symmetric airfoils remains critical for applications requiring low drag and stable behaviour across a wide range of operating conditions. This study represents a detailed computational investigation of the NACA 16-006 airfoil with a 1 m chord length operating at a freestream velocity of 100 m/s under constant atmospheric conditions. Numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS Fluent to evaluate aerodynamic characteristics across angles of attack ranging from 0° to 10°. Steady-state analyses employing the SST k–ω steady and turbulence model were initially conducted for 0°, 2°, 4°, and 6°, where the flow remained predominantly attached and produced stable convergence. However, significant fluctuations in aerodynamic coefficients observed at 6° indicated the onset of unsteady flow phenomena, prompting the transition to transient simulations for 6°, 8°, and 10°. At large angle of attack i.e., 10° the initial reflection of boundary layer separation occurs due of adverse pressure gradients and increased turbulence intensity. This study contributes to improved understanding of the NACA 16-006 airfoil’s performance and provides a validated numerical framework for analysing thin airfoils under mixed steady-unsteady flow regimes.