Airfoil files

Arbitrary airfoil geometries can be modelled in PyTornado. How airfoils files are referenced and used is described in Aircraft file. This page gives more notes on the actual airfoil file format.

Example

Fig. 5 Airfoil nomenclature. Image in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Files found in the UIUC Airfoil Coordinates Database can be loaded. You can download a file from the UIUC database, place it in the airfoils folder and then reference it via airfoils/downloaded_airfoil_file.dat (see Aircraft file).

Formats

Two different formats can be read. Examples are shown below. Note that more information can be found here: UIUC Airfoil Coordinates Database

Example format a

  • First row is name of airfoil or comment
  • Two columns for \(x\)- and \(y\)-coordinates
  • Data typically starts at \(x = 1\)
AIRFOIL NAME
1.00      0.00
0.80      0.05
0.60      0.10
0.40      0.10
0.20      0.05
0.00     -0.01
0.20     -0.05
0.40     -0.10
0.60     -0.10
0.80     -0.10
1.00     -0.00

Example format b

  • First row is name of airfoil or comment

  • Second row contains two columns with integers for the number of upper and lower \(x\), \(y\) coordinates, respectively

  • Then, there are two blocks of \(x\)-, and \(y\)-coordinates:

    • The first one for the upper points
    • The second one for the lower points
AIRFOIL NAME
43.     41.

0.00   0.00
0.00   0.00
0.00   0.00
0.00   0.00
0.00   0.00
0.00   0.01
0.00   0.01
0.00   0.01
0.01   0.01
0.01   0.01
0.01   0.02
0.02   0.02
0.03   0.02
0.04   0.03
0.05   0.03
0.06   0.03
0.08   0.04
0.11   0.04
0.15   0.04
0.20   0.05
0.25   0.05
0.30   0.05
0.35   0.05
0.40   0.05
0.45   0.04
0.50   0.04
0.55   0.04
0.60   0.04
0.65   0.03
0.69   0.03
0.73   0.02
0.77   0.02
0.81   0.02
0.84   0.01
0.88   0.01
0.91   0.00
0.93   0.00
0.95   0.00
0.97   0.00
0.98   0.00
0.99   0.00
0.99   0.00
1.00   0.00

0.00   0.00
0.00   -.00
0.00   -.00
0.00   -.00
0.00   -.00
0.00   -.00
0.01   -.00
0.01   -.01
0.01   -.01
0.02   -.01
0.03   -.01
0.04   -.01
0.05   -.01
0.07   -.01
0.09   -.01
0.11   -.02
0.15   -.02
0.20   -.02
0.25   -.02
0.30   -.02
0.35   -.02
0.40   -.02
0.45   -.02
0.50   -.02
0.55   -.02
0.60   -.02
0.65   -.02
0.69   -.02
0.73   -.02
0.77   -.02
0.81   -.01
0.84   -.01
0.88   -.01
0.91   -.01
0.93   -.00
0.95   -.00
0.97   -.00
0.98   -.00
0.99   -.00
0.99   -.00
1.00   -.00

See also

PyTornado uses the airfoils library to load and model airfoils.