Reduced-Order Model Approaches for Predicting Airfoil Performance

This study delves into the construction of reduced-order models (ROMs) of a flow field over a NACA 0012 airfoil at a moderate Reynolds number and an angle of attack of 8∘. Numerical simulations were computed through the finite-volume solver OpenFOAM. The analysis considers two different reduction techniques: the standard Galerkin projection method, which involves projecting the governing equations onto proper orthogonal decomposition modes (POD−ROMs), and the cluster-based network model (CNM), a fully data-driven nonlinear approach. An analysis of the topology of the dominant POD modes was conducted, uncovering a traveling wave pattern in the wake dynamics. We compared the performances of both ROM techniques regarding their prediction of flow field behavior and integral quantities. The ROM framework facilitates the practical actuation of control strategies with significantly reduced computational demands compared to the full-order approach.