Influence of Reynolds number on the comparative study of aerodynamic performance between rotating cylinders and rotating airfoils

레이놀즈 수에 따른 회전 실린더와 회전 익형의 공력 성능 비교 연구

This study numerically analyzes the lift force and power consumption of a rotating cylinder and a rotating airfoil, focusing on variations in diameter, rotation speed ratio, and inlet velocity. Three inlet velocities (u) were selected as 1.767 m/s, 8.83 m/s, and 17.67 m/s, and the rotation speeds were determined based on a rotation speed ratio of 0 to 3 at u = 1.767 m/s. The rotating cylinder generates lift due to the Magnus effect but also produces significantly higher drag compared to the rotating airfoil. When the surface area of the rotating cylinder is the same as that of the rotating airfoil, the rotating cylinder requires approximately five times more operating power than the rotating airfoil. Furthermore, the ratio of generated lift power to operating power is notably higher for the rotating airfoil, indicating its superior aerodynamic efficiency. As the Reynolds number increases, these differences become more pronounced. The rotating airfoil consistently requires less operating power while generating sufficient lift across all velocities. These findings highlight that while the rotating cylinder generates more lift, the rotating airfoil is more efficient in terms of power consumption and energy usage.