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16.885J/ESD.35J
Aircraft Systems Engineering
Aerodynamics Primer
Topics
• Geometry jargon
• Standard atmosphere
• Airflow variables
• Forces acting on aircraft
• Aerodynamic coefficients
• Lift curve
• Drag polar
V t
8
c
16.885J/ESD.35J - Sept 2003
Flow Velocities
Pressures
1 2
Pressure Coefficient
Lift proportional • Due to geometry of airfoil, the
to area under velocity, and therefore the
curve pressure, vary.
Cp – Manifestation of lift
-2
• It is convenient to express this
as a pressure coefficient
-1 Cp = (p - pf)/ qf
Upp
er surf
ace
• From Bernoulli Eq and
Lower surface
1
x/c
assuming density is constant
0
(ok for M < 0.3),
Cp = 1 - (V/ Vf)2
+1
• Pick out some features on
Pressure coefficient for a figure at left
conventional airfoil: NACA 0012
airfoil at D = 30.
16.885J/ESD.35J - Sept 2003
Forces
Aerodynamic
Aerodynamicleverage
leverage--lift
liftisis10-30
10-30times
timesbigger
biggerthan
thandrag!
drag!
For
For11pound
poundof
ofthrust
thrustget
get10-30
10-30pounds
poundsof
oflift.
lift.
16.885J/ESD.35J - Sept 2003
L, D Definitions
• Resultant force on
body resolved into
L
Lift L and Drag D
V
• By definition,
8
c/4
D
– L is perpendicular to
α
relative wind
– D is parallel to
Relative wind
relative wind
16.885J/ESD.35J - Sept 2003
Force Coefficients
• It is convenient to use non-dimensional forms of the
forces, called coefficients
L D 1
CL , CD where q U fVf2
qS qS 2
• Allows scaling between different size aircraft (wind tunnel
models vs full scale), different velocities, altitudes, etc.
• Can use different ways, e.g.
– If CL, S, q are known, then L = CLSq
– If L=W and CL, S are known, then flight speed which
gives level flight is Vf 2W
UfC S
L
16.885J/ESD.35J - Sept 2003
Lift Curve
Cl
Cl, max
dC αl
d
e =
l o p
t s
Lif
αL=0
α
αstall
16.885J/ESD.35J - Sept 2003
For wing to
generate Lift
Low Pressure
High Pressure
Drag
• Independent of Lift C f (Re,Mf,shape)
D
0
– Skin friction
– Pressure changes due to boundary layer
– Flow separation due to shock (lecture 5)
– Shock wave drag (lecture 5)
• Plus lift dependent C2
– Induced (vortex drag) CD L , e <1
i S AR e
2
– Viscous and wave drag to do lift CD kCL f (D,Mf,Re)
• Total Drag C2
C C L kC2
D D S AR e L
0