XFOIL
Tuesday, 06 October 2009 00:16 | 
Written by Aleksey Matyushev | 
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XFOIL is a program written in FORTRAN which helps the user analyze different types of airfoils under different flows and angles of attack. The start of the project dates back as early as 1986 when Mark Drela decided to couple panel methods with visous/inviscid interaction. Since the start of the original project, Harold Youngren has joined the team and together with Mark Drela they provided vast improvements to the project.
The XFOIL program allows the user to do the following:
- Analyse an airfoil in viscous or inviscid flow
- Interactively design and re-design the airfoil
- Blend airfoils together
- Read and write airfoil geometry
According to Drela and Youngren, the project has been currently frozen at version 6.9 due to very little bug reports. The code is licensed under GPL and can be modified and distributed as such.
USING XFOIL UNDER UNIX
Because the program was written in FORTRAN, the Graphical User Interface (GUI) is limited to a console environment. The authors also distribute the source code only, and while different distributions for the Macintosh, UNIX, and Windows platforms have been posted on the Internet, they still remain strictly unofficial.
ANALYSIS OF NACA 2432 IN VISCOUS FLOW
Although the GUI and the compilation of the source code might deter some users from using the program, the program still remains a wonderful tool for analysis and development of airfoils. After a little time playing around, the commands become self explanatory and the program provides a plethora of useful information. The user is able to quickly update the design and analysis of any airfoil chosen. Airfoils can either be either accessed through the built in NACA database (which is limited to 4 and 5 digit series airfoils) or import a custom airfoil. XFOIL also allows the user to export the final geometry of the airfoil into a data file.
Want to find out more? visit the MIT XFOIL website or our community resources page for more information.
Website: MIT XFOIL Website
Platform: Windows, Linux/Unix, Macintosh | Download
openAE Resources: XFOIL TUTORIAL
Last Updated (Monday, 21 June 2010 20:23)
