Design Optimization and Analysis of NACA 0012 Airfoil Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Genetic Algorithm

CFD method is inexpensive method of analysis of flow over aerodynamic structure. It incorporates mathematical relations and algorithms to analyze and solve the problems regarding fluid flow. CFD analysis of an airfoil produces results such as lift and drag forces which determines the ability of an airfoil. Optimization of an airfoil involves improving the design of the airfoil in order to manipulate the lift and drag coefficients according to the requirements. It is a very common method used in all fields of engineering. MATLAB is a numerical computing environment which supports interface with other software. XFoil is airfoil analysis software which calculates the lift and drag characteristics for different Reynolds numbers, Mach numbers and angles of attack. MALAB is interfaced with XFoil and the optimization of NACA 0012 airfoil is done and the results are analyzed. The performance of optimized air foil is analyzed using ANSYS FLUENT software.