the influence of surface temperature on winglet airfoil aerodynamics in low reynolds number

Different aspects, such as colors of feathers, their relation, and resultant effect on the physical and biological properties of birds, have been widely discussed. recent reports showed that, particularly due to dark-colored spectrums, surface temperature rises in bird bodies. as an after-effect of this elevated temperature, some biomechanical factors can be disturbed, like lessening the drag force while flying. in this context, the present study has analyzed the effect of surface temperature on the aerodynamic performance of an airfoil. the psu 94-097 airfoil was selected for analysis, designed as a high-performance, low-stall angle airfoil for specific winglet applications. the results show that increasing the surface temperature with respect to the ambient temperature leads to a reduction in the drag coefficient and an increase in the lift coefficient. the analysis was performed for flow conditions at reynolds numbers 6, 8, and 10 x 10^5 and angles of attack from 5 to 15 degrees. the results of the simulation were compared with the reference experimental data, and generally good agreement was found. these findings should be useful in obtaining more efficient airfoils, especially for small-scale applications.