Dynamic stall simulation of a pitching airfoil under unsteady freestream velocity

Effects of horizontal oscillations of the freestream velocity superimposed on a pitch oscillating NACA0012 airfoil were investigated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The SST k − ω model coupled with a low-Reynolds number correction was applied for Re ≈ 10 5 , when the airfoil was undergoing dynamic stall. The main parameter Φ , the phase difference between the freestream oscillation and the airfoil oscillation, was varied from 0 to π . The Φ variation resulted in several times amplitude dynamic loads when Φ ≤ π / 2 to several times damping dynamic loads for Φ > π / 2 where some dynamic stall loads were damped even below static stall load values. It was found that Φ variation was divided into two main ranges based on the values of the unsteady freestream velocity at dynamic stall. The load variation also appeared with some differences including the shape of the trailing edge vortex sheet before stall, the circulation of the dynamic stall vortex pairs, the critical angles, vortex growth time and the secondary lift peak location that are discussed in detail.