This study examines the aerodynamics of smooth and corrugated airfoils at low Reynolds numbers and varying reduced frequencies using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The analysis includes four airfoil shapes: one smooth ellipse and three corrugated designs, evaluated at Reynolds numbers of 100 and 1,000 with a Mach number of 0.1 and reduced frequencies of \(K=2.0, 1.5\text{ and } 1.0\) . This research is one of the first to assess the influence of plunge height on corrugated airfoils at these low Reynolds numbers. Results indicate that the vortices generated by the corrugation create a virtual airfoil effect around the surface. CFD simulations are performed by solving the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations using a pressure-Poisson method and second-order central difference discretization. The structural analysis is also carried out using SolidWorks. The findings show that while corrugated wings provide only a slight aerodynamic advantage over smooth flat plates at low Reynolds numbers, they offer similar drag and lift coefficients. Additionally, the structural analysis reveals that corrugated wings enhance resistance to bending moments, requiring 25% less thickness compared to smooth wings for equivalent stiffness. Consequently, corrugated wings deliver structural benefits without compromising aerodynamic performance.
