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Wind Energy Reports, no.1 Center for Energy Studies




Two Dimensional Tests of GA(W)-1 and GA(W)-2 Airfoils at Angles-
of-Attack from 0 to 360 Degrees
Dale Satran and M.H. Snyder
Wichita State University




























Recommended citation
Dale Satran and M.H. Snyder. Two Dimensional Tests of GA(W)-1 and GA(W)-2 Airfoils at Angles- of-
Attack from 0 to 360 Degrees. Wichita, Kan: Wichita State University, 1977. -- 37 p.

Digitized by University Libraries and posted in Shocker Open Access Repository

Citable Link: http://soar.wichita.edu/dspace/handle/10057/5692

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WER-l
P6-IZ-06-0(l
Wind Energy Report No. 1
TWO-DIMENSIONAL TESTS OF GA(W) -l
AND GA(W) -2 AIRFOILS AT ANGLES- OF-ATTACK
FROM 0 TO 360 DEGREES
by
Dale Satran
and
Melvin H. Snyder
Wind Energy Laboratory
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas
January, 1977
FOR EARLY DOMESTIC DISSEMINATION
Because of its s'ignificant early commercial potential, this information,
which has been developed under a State of Kansas program using NASA infor-
mation, is being di sseminated within the United States in advance of general
publication. This information may be duplicated and used by the recipient
with the express limitation that it not be published. Release of this in-
formation to other domestic parties by the recipient shall be made subject
to these limitations. Foreign release may be made only with prior NASA ap-
proval and appropriate export licenses. This legend shall be marked on
any reproduction of this information in whole or in part.
Date for general release: January. 1979
ABSTRACT
Tests of the GA(W) - l and GA(W)-2 airfoil s were conducted
in the 2- D test section o f the Wichita State University
7' x 10' low speed wind tunnel to de termine the lift , drag,
and pitching moment coefficients of the airfoils. The chords
of the aluminum models were six inches. Thg airfoils ~ r
tested a
6
three Reynolds numbers: .37 x 10 I .51 x 1 0 , and
.67 x 10 , and at angles of attack from a to 360 degrees .
Hysteresis studies were also performed from negative stall
to posi tive stall .
INTRODUCTION
As a part of the continuing wind energy re s earch program
at Wichita State University, a two- bladed wind turbine was de-
signed and built (re ference 1). It became evident, during the
design process and during the calculation of off-design perfor-
ma nce, that there is a serious lack of airfoil data for low
Reynolds numbers a nd for large ranges of angle of attack .
From the limited data availabl e , it appeared that the
GA(W)-l airfoil would be a better section for a windmil l blade
(i.e., shorter chord and lighter weight) than the o l der sec-
tions. For this reason, the wind turbine , described in refer-
ence I, was constructed using a GA(W)-l airfoil.
In order to provide desi gn data for future wind turbine
designs, tests have been conducted in the Walte r H. Beech
Wind Tunnel at Wichita State University . These tests, re-
ported in this report, were two-dimensional tes ts of the
GA(W)-l and GA(W)-2 airfoils .
MODELS AND TEST PARAMETERS
The models tested were the GA(\'l)-l and GA(\v) - 2 airfoils.
The contours and surface coordinates of the GA(W)-l airfoil
are shown in figure 1. Figure 2 illustrates the GA(W) - 2 air-
foil , but the coordinates have not been released for general
publication. Persons desiring these coordinates must apply
to NASA. The models were constructed of aluminum with six-
inch chords.
The standard 2-D tunnel walls are 3 feet aRart, and
usually the models have- for:ty-two-inch diameter end plates_
(for models with c = 2 ft.) . . These 6-inch chord models were
equipped with l2-inctldiameterend plates angle of
attack drive was modified to permit testing through an angle
of attack range of 360 degrees. See figure 3.
The Reynolds numbers attained were fixed by t he limits
to the dynamic pressure. Minimum dynamic pressure, fixed
by repeatability of data, was 8 psf. and corresponded to
Reynolds number of about 350,000. Maximum dynamic pressure
was limited bending ..-the mQgel which produced deflec-
tions of the end plates. For these small models,
pressure was limited to 48 pst. corresponding to a Reynolds-'
fiumber of approximately 70-0,000.
TESTING
The models were tested for a full 360
0
and were tested
for hysteresis by rotating the airfoil from deep negative
1
stall t o deep positive stall and back to deep negative stall.
The models were tested at three dynamic pressures, 8 , 18 and
4 8 psf . These data were taken o n t he force b a lance. Wake
s urveys were also performed using a five-tube probe to measure
the total pressure variation through the wake (see fiqure 4).
DATA REDUCTI ON
Force data were reduced by a comput er program whi ch
corrected the data for f l ow angularity, solid bl ockage , wake
blockage, horizontal buoyancy, and turbulence as shown in
the Appe ndix. The' program (reference 2) computed lift , drag ,
pitching moment about the quar ter chord , normal and axial co-
efficients for each angle of attack. Drag data from the
force balance included interference and tare d r ag for the
end plates . The differences between the drag data from the
force bal ance and from the wake survey were removed by the
p r ogr a m f or each model to yield the actual drag of the model.
Pressure data from the f i ve-tube wake survey p r obe were
"reduced into vel oci ties whi ch were integrated by another p ro-
gram to yield drag of the model only . The wake survey was
taken too far (six inches) behind the model. Velocity p ro-
files through the wake were very flat wh ich hindered deter-
mination of the wake boundaries. By changing the integra-
tion limi ts by on ly one pe r cent , the drag could change as
much as fifty to one h undred pe rcent . By determining the
best range of d r ag f or the wake sur veys at each angle of at-
tack and by plotting a curve through the average of these
drag values, a table of the d rag coefficients was gener a t ed
for each air foil. Minimum drag coeffici ents are compared ,
in figure 5 , wi th ski n f ricti on coefficients for all-
laminar and all-turbul e nt flow.
Wake da t a were used t o correct the drag when the air-
foil was not stalled. When the airfoil was stalled , inter-
ference and t are drag we r e considered c onstant and were
subtracted from the force data.
RESULTS
Corrected aerodynamic characteristics of the
are presented graphically in figures 6 through 8 .
results are presented in tables I and II.
2
airfoils
Principal
REFERENCES
1. Dunn, C.H., and Snyder, M.H.: "A Prototype wind Generator
Sys tem Supplying Energy to the Electric Utility Grid,"
University of Missouri-Rolla Energy Conference , Rolla,
MO, Octobe r 1975.
2. Rotramel, Breidenthal, and Wentz; Computing Routines for
Airfoil Section Wind Tunnel Data Reduction , Aer onautical
Engineering Department, Wichita State Univers ity, June
1973.
3 . Wentz, W.H.,Jr., a nd Seetharam, H.C.; A Fowler Flap
System for a High-Performance General Aviation Airfoil,
Paper no. 740365, S.A.E. Business Aircraft Meeting,
Wichita, Kansas, April 1974.
3
SYMBOLS
b airfoil span, di stance between end plates ft.
C airfoil chord
ft.
Cd
section drag coefficient, D/qbc
c l
section l i ft coefficient, L/qbc
c
rnc
section pitching moment coefficient,
Mi-/
qbC
2
T
o drag
lb.
L lift
lb .
pitching moment about the quarter-chord
ft.-lb.
q d
1 v
2
y n m ~ c pressure, 2
P
p . s. f.
RN Reynolds number, pVc/v
S wing area = be
sq . ft.
t maxi mum thickness of airfoil ft.
v wind tunne l velocity ft . /sec.
a angle of a t tack. deg.-
coefficient of viscosity slugs/ft. sec .
air density s l ugs/cu. ft.
4
TABLE I
Pr incipal Parameters for GA(W) - l Airfoil
Reynolds Number . 37 x 10
6
.51 x 10
6
.67 x 10
6
c
l
=
0.0 at a
=
-4.2 - 4.3 -4.4
a
=
0.0 at c
l
=
.47 .50 .52
cl
max
=
1. 35 1. 39 1. 43
.0/10
Cdmin
=
~ g e
.0102 . 0077
L/D
max
=
66.69 76 . 16 86 . 27
at
a
=
6.20 6 .20 2.20
Stall + a 16.2 16. 2 16.2
Range - a - 11.8
- 11.8
0
- 11.8
5
TABLE II
Principal Parameters for GA(W)- 2 Airfoil
Reynolds Number .37 x
10
6
.
. 51 x 10
6
.67 x 10
6
c
1

0.0 at a

- 4.6
_4.7 _ 4.8
a

0.0 at c
1

.50 .52 . 54
Cl
max

1. 37 1. 42 1. 45
Cd
min

. 0122 . 0091 .0067
L/Dmax

66.65 84.44 87.64
at
a
4.20
4.2 4.2 0
Stall
+
a 12 . 2 14.2 14 . 2
Range - a - 11 . 8' - 9.8 -9.8
6
chord line
tic

0 .17
GA(WH Airfoil Coo!dinales
Uppe! SUlface Lower Surface:
XI'

XI,

0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
0.00200 0.01300 0.00200 -0. 00930
0.00500 0.02040 0.00500 - 0.01380
0.012,50 0.03070 0.01 250 -0.02050
0.02500 0.041 70 0.02500 -0. 02690
0.03750 0.04965 0.03750 -0.03 190
0.05000 0.05589 0.05000 - 0.03580
0.07500 O.06SSI 0.07500 - 0.()4210
0.10000 0.07300 o.looon 0.04700
0.12500 0.07900 0.12500 - 0.05 100
0.15000 0.08400 0.15000 -0.054)0
0.17500 0.08840 0.17500 -0.05700
0.20000 0.0920!'! 0.20000 - 0.05930
0.25000 0.09770 0.25000
- 0.06270
0.30000 0.10160 0.30000
-0.06450
0.35000 0.10400 0.35000 - 0. 06520
0.40000 0.10491 0.40000 - 0. 06490
0.45000 0.10445 0.45000 -0. 06350
0.50000 0.10258 0.50000 -0.06100
0.55000 0.099 10 0.55000 -0.05700
0.57500 0.09668 0.51500 - 0.05400
0.60000 0.09371 0.60000 -0.05080
0.62500 0.09006 0.62500
-0.04690
0.65000 0.08599 0.65000 -0.04280
0.67500 0.08136 0.67500 -0.03840
0.10000 0.01634 0.10000 -0.03400
0.72500 0.07092 0.72500 - 0.02940
0.75000 0.065 13 0.75000 -0. 02490
0.17500 0.05901 0.17500 -0.02040
0.80000 0.05286 0.80000 -0.01 600
0.82500 0.04646 0.82500 -0.01200
0.85000 0.03988 0.&5000 - 0.00860
0.87500 0.03315 0.87500 -0.00580
0.!l/0000 0.026)9 0.90000 -0. 00360
0.92500 0.0 1961 0.92500 -0.00250
0.95000 0.01287 0.95000 - 0.00260
0.91500 0.00609 0.91500 -0.00400
1.00000 -0.00070 1.00000 -0.00800
Figure 1. GA{W) - l Airfoil.
B
chord line
Figure 2. GA(W)-2 Ai rfo il.
9
Figure 3. View Of 2-D Test Section From Downstream Of Model .
Figure 4. Wake survey Probe In Position,
Viewed From Downstream Of The Model.
014
.012
o
. . 010
.008
.006
.004
o
e> GA(W)-l
Cl GA(W)-2
_ All turbulent
C, flat plate
o
o
All laminar flat plate
____ -+ __ -4 __ ___
10
5
10
6
Reynolds Number
Figure 5. Airfoil Minimum Drag Coefficients.
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