Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This study investigates the flow around Kline-Fogleman (KF) airfoils using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in a wind tunnel at Reynolds number Re = 6.8 × 104. Three configurations are tested: a clean NACA 0015 airfoil and two modified versions with a step on either the pressure or suction side. Velocity fields are used to calculate lift via the Kutta-Joukowski theorem. Results show that the KF airfoil with a step on the pressure side achieves a 14.8% higher maximum lift coefficient and delayed stall. In contrast, placing the step on the suction side reduces maximum lift by 4%. The KF airfoil with pressure-side step shows potential for low Reynolds number applications where higher lift and larger stall angles are required.
Authors: Ivan Dobrev, Michael Pereira, Michael Todorov, Fawaz Massouh
Institutions: Arts et Métiers, Technical University of Sofia
Language: English
Subfield: Computational Mechanics
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W7124446764