CFD Analysis of Natural Laminar Flow Airfoils for Sustainable Aviation

Comparative aerodynamic analysis: NACA 2412 vs NLF airfoils · XFLR5 · ~44% L/D improvement at cruise

📄 Full Technical One-Pager (PDF)
🎥 Demo video

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Summary

Conducted comparative aerodynamic CFD analysis of conventional NACA 2412 vs Natural Laminar Flow airfoils (NACA 63-215, NACA 64-210) — directly aligned with industry priorities for next-generation low-emission aircraft design.

Key Results

Metric	Value
L/D improvement at cruise	~44%
Drag reduction at cruise	~42%
Reynolds number range tested	500K → 3M
Angle of attack sweep	−5° to +20°
3D wing analysis	12 m span · AR = 8

Tools

XFLR5 · Lifting Line Theory · Vortex Lattice Method

Methodology

1. 2D viscous Type-1 polar analysis across Reynolds numbers 500K–3M
2. Aerodynamic coefficients extracted: Cl, Cd, Cm, drag polars, L/D ratios
3. 3D wing analysis using Lifting Line Theory and Vortex Lattice Method
4. Longitudinal stability derivatives extracted: Cmα, CLα, neutral point — static margin assessment
5. Validation against published NACA wind-tunnel reference data
6. Structured technical report documenting assumptions, boundary conditions, and design recommendations

Sustainability angle

Targeted 10–15% L/D improvement at cruise as the design sustainability metric — directly relevant to industry decarbonisation roadmaps and zero-emission aircraft programmes.

Repository structure

Relevance

Demonstrates aerodynamic analysis, CFD post-processing, stability derivative extraction, and sustainable aviation alignment — core skills for Aerodynamics, Flight Physics, Performance, and Conceptual Design roles at Airbus, Boeing, GE Aerospace, and aerospace ESPs.

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