multi-element airfoil grid generation
 

Hi all,

I'm a Fluent/Gambit user - I'm planning some fairly large scale multi-element airfoil optimization studies. I have a baseline airfoil and then I will adjust the flap/slat rotation/translation to suit my objectives.

My problem - for now- is related to appropriate meshing techniques. Would anyone be able to offer some advice or perhaps even a tutorial on multi-element airfoil grid generation?

Thanks,
rcarrese

Hi
 

Hi,

Since your using Gambit, I guess getting a high quality multiblock structured mesh will not be easy.

I did some meshing on multi-element airfoils, I used GRIDPRO. I was able to generate high quality multiblock structured meshes. Moreover automation of meshing for multi-element airfoils at different flap & slat settings was easily achieved (Transformation of blocks was much easier in GRIDPRO).

Hi, thank you for the reply. I guess I would be flexible in learning another pre-processing software. Is GRIDPRO freely available? If it isn't would you suggest any others which could be used? Would ICEM CFD be a more appropriate choice?

Thanks,
rcarrese

Hi,

GRIDPRO is not Free, you need to buy the licence. ICEM CFD can be used, but it will be really tedious and time consuming to work around blocks and also achieving high quality mesh will be bit difficult.

Creating block topology in GRIDPRO is damn easy, and also smoothing of mesh is highly robust(which is done internally by the algorithm). Especially it is very useful if you want to automate the meshing process for any given slat or flap position along with the main airfoil. Orthogonality is optimized throughout the entire grid volume.

Thank you for all your advice. For now I have obtained a trial copy of the software. I assume if you were using it to adjust flap and slat positions, then it can be run in batch mode which would be perfect for my optimization studies.

Would you happen to have a tutorial or an example of the multi-element airfoil studies that you conducted?

Thanks heaps for your help,
Robert

Hi,

Once you have freezed your block topology manually, you can run gridpro in batch mode for various configurations of slat & flap angles. Your batch run can be called through a unix or windows(*.bat) script. In the script you can also transform your block topology suiting to your flap or slat position and angle (of course there will be some limitations, which you need to set them by doing a study).

Sorry, I dont have any tutorial, but I was involved in a study in my previous company, for doing automation of meshing for multi-element airfoils with GRIDPRO.:)

Ask the support for the "3 element airfoil" demo case.