Airfoil Design With SolidWorks
Airfoil Design with SolidWorks
choose and find an airfoil design file
Get it from the web : http://airfoiltools.com/ has a nice database o choose yours o download the dat file o change the file type from ".dat" to ".txt"; for exemple : "fg2.dat" "fg2.txt" o edit (text editor) the file to remove the comments and add a 3rd column of 0 for the z axis;
Using our profile with solidworks o open SolidWorks and create a new part o use the curve by x,y,z points from the curve sub-menu of the insert menu
o use the curve by x,y,z points from the curve sub-menu of the insert menu o use the .txt file you just made
You should now have an airfoil curve in the x,y plane
Sketch drawing: o enter the sketch drawing mode on the front plane o select the curve and use the convert entity button
For an easy work it's best to create an extruded surface from middle planewith this sketch
1/2
C. Maury
Now you can move/rotate/resize your surface body to match what you want
Ex:
I moved the surface to have the middle chord on the origin
I scale the surface to 15 mm (as usually the .dat file give a 1 unit chord airfoil)
I rotate the airfoil to 15°
I usually use the body delete on all used surface so later my CFD soft will not use them
create the solid, 2 methods :
a) using surfaces o close the surface with planes both sides o sew the faces and try to make a solid
b) using solids o enter the sketch drawing mode on the front plane o select the surface and use the intersection button o extrude to get your solid with or if you serch for non rectilign and/or twisted airfoil Et voila!
2/2
C. Maury
choose and find an airfoil design file
Get it from the web : http://airfoiltools.com/ has a nice database o choose yours o download the dat file o change the file type from ".dat" to ".txt"; for exemple : "fg2.dat" "fg2.txt" o edit (text editor) the file to remove the comments and add a 3rd column of 0 for the z axis;
Using our profile with solidworks o open SolidWorks and create a new part o use the curve by x,y,z points from the curve sub-menu of the insert menu
o use the curve by x,y,z points from the curve sub-menu of the insert menu o use the .txt file you just made
You should now have an airfoil curve in the x,y plane
Sketch drawing: o enter the sketch drawing mode on the front plane o select the curve and use the convert entity button
For an easy work it's best to create an extruded surface from middle planewith this sketch
1/2
C. Maury
Now you can move/rotate/resize your surface body to match what you want
Ex:
I moved the surface to have the middle chord on the origin
I scale the surface to 15 mm (as usually the .dat file give a 1 unit chord airfoil)
I rotate the airfoil to 15°
I usually use the body delete on all used surface so later my CFD soft will not use them
create the solid, 2 methods :
a) using surfaces o close the surface with planes both sides o sew the faces and try to make a solid
b) using solids o enter the sketch drawing mode on the front plane o select the surface and use the intersection button o extrude to get your solid with or if you serch for non rectilign and/or twisted airfoil Et voila!
2/2
C. Maury