03 · Aerodynamics
Leading-Edge Slat Aerodynamics
Experimental & Computational Study · Jan to Mar 2026
How a custom leading-edge slat changes flow over a NACA 8612 airfoil at high angle of attack. Hele-Shaw flow visualization validated against ANSYS Fluent CFD.
- 12 to 20°
- stall delay
- +30%
- peak lift
- <1%
- validation error
What
- Studied how a custom leading-edge slat changes flow over a NACA 8612 airfoil at high AoA.
- Used a Hele-Shaw flow table to visualize streamlines and validate theory against CFD.
How
- Processed dye-flow imagery in MATLAB for streamline and dye-coverage extraction.
- Validated against ANSYS Fluent CFD and potential-flow solutions.
- Half-body Rankine case confirmed source strength to within 1%.
Results
- Slat delayed critical stall from ~12° to 20°.
- Peak lift coefficient rose ~30%, confirming the high-lift benefit.
- Flow-table testing proved effective for early high-lift screening.
Tools & methods
- ANSYS Fluent
- MATLAB
- Hele-Shaw flow table
- Image processing
Next project
Pin-Fin Heat Sink Characterization