Dynamic stall simulations with finite-volume based Lattice Boltzmann method

Abstract

In this study, the capability of the Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM) is demonstrated simulating one of the most challenging problems in rotor aerodynamics, i.e. dynamic stall. For this purpose, 2-D simulations with an in-house developed finite-volume based LBM flow solver were performed for a NACA 0015 airfoil that is sinusoidally pitching around its quarter-chord. For the current study, three cases for different mean angles of attack but with the same pitching amplitude and the frequency were considered. Each case corresponds to different flow regimes, i.e. attached flow, light stall, and deep stall. Once the converged solutions were obtained, the computed variations of forces and pitching moment were compared with the measured data and satisfactory results were obtained. Also, the same simulations were repeated with a NS equations based flow solver that is available commercially (Fluent Version 14.5) and the comparison between the two methods revealed that both provides almost equivalent results.