A Comparative Study of Reverse Engineering Approaches Toward the Design and Analysis of 2-D High-Speed Hydrofoils

In recent years, maritime industries have focused their attention on hydrofoils as one of the main technologies for the development of eco-sustainable solutions in the field of boating. The aim of the current research was to analyze the front wing of a Kohlkida class hydrofoil and to describe the methodology employed for the reconstruction of the 2-D airfoils by means of photogrammetry. Considering the limitations of the photogrammetry methods, some sections were extracted from the model. The airfoils were properly scaled and first compared with the model obtained by means of a laser scanner. Under the operating condition of the hydrofoil and with the use of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations, the behavior of the airfoils was simulated, allowing us to verify how the geometric differences due to the photogrammetry approach affect the fluid dynamics, in comparison to the model obtained from laser scanning. The proposed methodology led to a geometry reconstruction with adequate accuracy for the identification of both the characteristic curves for the lift and drag coefficients with a maximum error of 6% in the angle-of-attack range investigated in the study, also highlighting fluid dynamics problems that characterize this type of airfoils with a flat bottom and a knife-sharp leading edge.