COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HIGH-LIFT AIRFOILS FOR MOTORSPORTS APPLICATIONS

The purpose of this study is to analyse various high-lift low-Reynolds-number airfoils using the XFOIL airfoil analysis code in the isolated flow field and to select the optimum airfoil to suit motorsports applications. The airfoil is selected after comparing the stall behavior, transition location, pressure recovery, pressure distribution and boundary-layer characteristics of various airfoils. The prime consideration while selecting an airfoil is the highest Cl while achieving the sustainable performance over a range of Reynolds numbers encountered on the race track. An increase in Cl is always accompanied by an increase in Cd; however, this must be compromised since the main goal is to increase the aerodynamic grip. It is always desirable to increase the downforce in Formula One /Formula Student to gain a reduction in lap time. This paper establishes the criteria for the selection of high-lift low-Reynolds-number airfoils, while considering the various parameters that affect the performance of airfoils.