Numerical Simulation and Validation of NACA0012 Airfoil to Predict Its Performance During the Stalling Condition

Stalling conditions have the most significant impact on the aerodynamic performance of vertical axis wind turbines. This paper presents the formation of dynamic stall on NACA0012 airfoil using modern numerical technique. The impact of changing the angle of attack on a single-bladed airfoil at a modest Reynolds number is investigated. For the current case, SST-SAS turbulence model was investigated. Flow attachment and separation of flow across the airfoil in the form of vortex formation, propagation is depicted using velocity vectors. The coefficient of lift and drag performance metrics have been also investigated for critical angles of attack and the findings demonstrate good agreement with the experimental data of the literature. The estimated error was reduced significantly using an advanced numerical technique as compared to the error reported in the literature. A slight modification in the geometry of airfoil is also proposed to improve the performance characteristics.