Flow Visualization Around an Airfoil Using Heated Glycerin Smoke | Wind Tunnel Experiment | LabMFA

The experiment was performed in a low-speed wind tunnel using heated glycerin smoke as a flow tracer to visualize the streamlines around an airfoil model. The smoke reveals the flow patterns and aerodynamic behavior of the airfoil, providing a clear qualitative view of the surrounding velocity field. Flow visualization techniques are essential tools in experimental aerodynamics, allowing researchers and students to observe: • Streamline patterns around aerodynamic bodies • Boundary layer development • Flow acceleration over the airfoil surface • Wake formation downstream of the airfoil • Flow separation and recirculation regions • Aerodynamic effects associated with airfoil geometry Such experiments are widely used for educational purposes, aerodynamic research, and validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Research Areas at LabMFA * Aerodynamics * Fluid Mechanics * Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) * Experimental Fluid Dynamics * Multiphase Flows * Heat Transfer * Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics (LabMFA) Mechanical Engineering Program (PEM) COPPE - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)