Influence of airfoil thickness on

unsteady aerodynamic loads on

pitching airfoils
- Srisoham Upadhyayula
21951A21B2
Introduction

The thickness of an airfoil

plays a significant role in
determining the unsteady
aerodynamic loads
experienced by a pitching
airfoil. When an airfoil pitches
(rotates around an axis), its
shape and thickness affect the
airflow around it, impacting
the lift and drag forces.
Pitching Moment:

Airfoil thickness alters the

pitching moment, affecting the
rotational forces experienced
during pitch motion. Thicker
airfoils typically exhibit
different pitching moment
characteristics compared to
thinner ones due to variations
in pressure distributions along
the chord length during
motion.
Pressure Distribution Changes:

Thicker airfoils often have different pressure distribution

characteristics compared to thinner ones. During unsteady
motions like pitching, this can alter how pressure changes
across the airfoil's surface, affecting the lift and drag forces.
Thicker airfoils might experience more drastic pressure
changes during unsteady motions due to the altered flow
behavior around the thicker profile.
Airfoil Thickness

The thickness of an airfoil

significantly influences its
aerodynamic performance.
Thicker airfoils tend to
provide higher lift and
increased structural
robustness, but may also
introduce greater drag and
weight.
Stall Behavior:

Thicker airfoils tend to

have different stall
characteristics compared
to thinner ones. They
might delay or change the
onset of stall during
unsteady conditions,
impacting the lift and
drag behavior during
pitching motion.
Dynamic Stall:
The thickness of the airfoil
affects the occurrence of
dynamic stall, where separated
flow and vortex shedding can
occur during rapid pitch
changes. Thicker airfoils might
experience different patterns of
dynamic stall compared to
thinner ones due to variations
in flow separation and
reattachment.
Numerical Simulations

Numerical simulations using

computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) enable detailed analysis of
flow behavior around airfoils of
varying thickness during pitching
maneuvers. These simulations
offer valuable data for validating
experimental findings.
Impact on Aircraft
Performance

The impact of airfoil

thickness on unsteady
aerodynamic loads
during pitching
maneuvers directly
influences aircraft
performance, stability,
and control. Optimizing
airfoil design can lead to
improved efficiency and
safety.
Thicker airfoils might have different tendencies
for flow separation and reattachment during
unsteady motions. This influences the Flow Separation and
generation and sustainment of lift and can
impact the unsteady aerodynamic loads Reattachment:
experienced by the airfoil.
Boundary Layer Behavior: Airfoil thickness impacts the boundary layer
characteristics, which in turn affect the
separation behavior, turbulence, and
reattachment of the airflow. These factors play
a role in determining the unsteady
aerodynamic loads experienced by the airfoil.
 Conclusion
In summary, the thickness of an airfoil
plays a crucial role in determining the
unsteady aerodynamic loads experienced
during pitching motions. Thicker airfoils
tend to exhibit different aerodynamic
behaviors compared to thinner ones,
impacting lift, drag, flow patterns, and
the overall response of the airfoil to
unsteady motions. Understanding these
effects is crucial in designing airfoils for
specific applications, such as aircraft
wings or rotor blades, where unsteady
aerodynamic performance is a key
consideration.