A Computational Study on NACA 2412 Airfoil with a Leading-Edge Dimple

Wing surface modifications, such as dimples, have gained significant research interest in aerodynamics due to their potential to enhance flow characteristics and improve the aerodynamic performance of airfoils. Inspiring from the mainstream principles used in golf ball design, the introduction of dimples on airfoils is a promising approach to enhance the aerodynamic efficiency without significant geometric complexity. In this study, a two-dimensional (2D) numerical analysis has been performed using “ANSYS Fluent” on the NACA 2412 airfoil with a chord length of 1m. The investigation is conducted at a free stream velocity of 50 m/s. A dimple is positioned on 30% of the chord from the leading edge, and the angle of attack (AOA) is varied from −3° to 18° with an interval of 3°. The numerical results demonstrate that the dimple-modified airfoil exhibits a higher lift coefficient (c _l ), lower drag coefficient (c _d ), and consequently an improved lift-to-drag ratio (c _l /c _d ) compared to the baseline airfoil. These findings suggest that the incorporation of dimples on an airfoil effectively enhances aerodynamic characteristics by delaying flow separation, particularly at higher angle of attack.