Aerodynamics II

Lecture 3: Elementary Potential Flows

Faculty: Sudhir Joshi
Date: 30th August, 2010

10/12/2013

Elementary potential flows

10/12/2013

Potential Equation (Laplaces equation)

Continuity eqn:

Irrotational flow:

Velocity Potential:

10/12/2013

Potential Equation (Laplaces equation)

Substituting u, v and w into the continuity equation:

Laplaces equation for irrotational, incompressible flows Every inviscid, incompressible, irrotational flow is described by a potential which satisfies the above potential equation.

10/12/2013

Potential Equation (Laplaces equation)

The Laplace equation is linear, therefore we can use the principle of superposition. So, if 1 and 2 are solutions of the Laplace equation, so is

= 1 1+ 2 2
So, complicated flow patterns can be obtained by a suitable combination of elementary flows

10/12/2013

Potential Equation (Laplaces equation)

The stream function :

Automatically satisfies Laplaces equation (putting u and v into irrotationality condition)

10/12/2013

Uniform parallel flow

For Uniform flow

10/12/2013

Source flow

Velocity components:

10/12/2013

Source flow
Potential function:

Stream function:

10/12/2013

Uniform flow + Source flow

10/12/2013

10

Doublet flow

If we let the distance l shrink to zero and let the source strength Q grow to infinity, such that the product Ql = = const,

Then this will result in a doublet.

10/12/2013

11

Doublet flow

10/12/2013

12

Doublet flow

Doublet flow

10/12/2013

13

Vortex flow

10/12/2013

14

Vortex flow

If we calculate the vorticity, we will find that the vorticity is zero everywhere in the flow field, except at the origin where the vorticity is infinitely large.
10/12/2013 15

Vortex flow

Instead of the integration constant c we usually express the strength of the vortex in terms of its circulation.

10/12/2013

16

Vortex flow

10/12/2013

17

Elementary potential flows

10/12/2013

18