1. Introduction

PyAero is an open-source airfoil contour analysis and CFD meshing tool. The main intention of writing the software was to make an easy to use tool for 2D airfoil meshing. Meshes generated by PyAero are intended to be used in subsequent CFD analysis.

PyAero, at least at the moment, does not do the CFD calculation itself. At a later stage it might be possible that PyAero will be interfaced (i.e. export meshes in the respective format(s)) with existing open source CFD methods like SU2 or similar.

As an initial step towards aerodynamic calculations, a panel method from AeroPython (©2014 Lorena A. Barba, Olivier Mesnard) has been implemented.

Airfoil contours (at least legacy airfoils) often are described through a limited number of points (approx. 60 points). When meshing such contours, if not interpolated by splines, the resulting mesh and numerical solutions based on it would end up with artefacts. These would deteriorate the quality of the analysis results.

Therefore, in addition to the mesh generation module, some additional features have been implemented. These features are intended to be able to analyze and improve the airfoil contour. The improvement process is supported by point insertion and spline interpolation techniques. First and second derivatives of the contour allow for control of the contour as well as curvature smoothness.

To reflect real shapes, an option for creating a trailing edge and blending it to the contour is implemented.

The following figures show an example mesh for the airfoil RAE2822 and a magnification of leading edge and trailing edge sections.

_images/mesh_RAE2822_MAC.png

Mesh around RAE2822 airfoil

_images/LE_mesh_RAE2822_MAC.png

Leading edge mesh view of RAE2822 airfoil

_images/TE_mesh_RAE2822_MAC.png

Trailing edge mesh view of RAE2822 airfoil