Skip to main content
All CollectionsTutorials
NACA 0012 Airfoil
NACA 0012 Airfoil

This sample project provides the necessary files to run a simulation using the NACA 0012 airfoil.

Updated over a week ago

Note: If you've chosen this project from the New Project window in the app, it's pre-configured with CAD or mesh files, settings, pre-run simulations, visualization filters, and more.

Use this guide to create this case from scratch with a blank project.

The NACA 0012 is one of the standard airfoils developed by the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NASA's precursor) in the 1920s and 1930s. The first digit specifies the airfoil's maximum camber, the second digit the position of that maximum camber, and the last two digits the maximum thickness. The NACA 0012 airfoil is symmetrical with a maximum thickness equal to 12% of its chord length.

Project Files

Mesh File
Settings File

Set Up the Simulation

  1. Download the above mesh and settings files (expand Project Files).

  2. Create a new blank project.

  3. Upload the mesh file.

  4. Upload the settings file. Click the three dot (...) menu at the top of the control panel and select Upload Settings, then select the file from your file browser.

  5. Click Run Simulation at the top of the control panel.

You'll be taken to the simulation tab for this run. The simulation should complete very quickly as this is a simple case on a relatively small mesh. Once it has finished you can use some of Luminary Cloud's visualization tools to analyze the results.

Apply Visualizations

Nest a slice and a clip to view just the area in the vicinity of the airfoil.

Slice

  1. Click the Slice icon in the visualization toolbar and select Slice.

  2. In the properties panel, set the Visualization options to:

    1. Origin: 0, 0, 0.5

    2. Normal: 0, 0, 1

  3. Click the check button to create the slice.

Click the Zoom to Fit button at the bottom of the 3D Viewer to see the entire domain. It's difficult to view the flow features around the airfoil, so use the clip tool to only look at the area near the airfoil.

Clip

In the Geometry panel, hide the airfoil, farfield, z_minus and z_plus surfaces. You'll only be left with the slice.

Next, create the clip:

  1. Ensure the previous slice is currently selected in the Visualization section of the control panel.

  2. Click the Clip icon in the visualization toolbar.

  3. In the properties panel, set the Display options to:

    1. Color By: Pressure (Pa)

    2. Representation: Surface

  4. In the Visualization Input options set:

    1. Clip Type: Box

    2. Box Center: 0, 0, 0.5

    3. Length: 4, 3, 2

    4. Rotation: 0, 0, 0

  5. Click the check button to create the clip.

Set the camera view to the -Z direction and click Zoom to Fit, you should see only the area around the airfoil, as shown below.

Related Articles
Slice
CHT Analysis on a Printed Circuit Board
Did this answer your question?