Prandtls Lifting Line Introduction

Assumptions:
3-D steady potential flow (inviscid & irrotational)
Incompressible
High aspect ratio wing
Low sweep
Small crossflow (along span)
flow looks like 2-D flow locally with adjusted

Outputs:
Total lift and induced drag estimates
Rolling moment
Lift distribution along span
Basic scaling of
i
D
C with
L
C & geometry


2
e
i
L
D
C
C
A
= dominated by A , where
2
b
A
S
=


2
2
2
2
2
1
i
i
L
q S D
b q S
e
S
L L
D
b q e q e b

| |
|
\ .
=
| |
= =
|
\ .



2
1
i
L
D
q e b

| |
=
|
\ .


In steady level flight where W L = , we have the following options for reducing
i
D :

Raise

q (i.e. raise cruise velocity) Friction increases

Decrease span loading,
W
b
b W & coupled due to structures
Improve wing efficiency, e Can be difficult





Prandtls Lifting Line Introduction
16.100 2002 2
Geometry & Basic Definitions for Lifting Line

Chord is variable, ) ( y c c =
Angle of attack is variable, ) ( y = and is a sum of two pieces


N N
N
( ) ( )
g
local freestream
geometric
twist
y y

= +

Effective angle of attack is modified by downwash from trailing vortices


N
( ) ( ) ( )
eff i
induced
y y y

=

Note: 0
i
> for downwash

Local lift coefficient linear with
eff


( )[ ( ) ( )]
l o eff LO
C a y y y =

Fundamental Lifting Line Equation

Basic model results by:

Assuming Kutta-Joukowsky locally gives L :


( ) ( )
( ) 2 ( )
( )
( ) ( )
l
L y V y
L y y
C y
q c y V c y

=

= =


y
c(y)
C
l
(
eff
,y)
x
y=-b/2 y=b/2
Prandtls Lifting Line Introduction
16.100 2002 3
Distributing infinitely many horseshoe vortices along wing
4
c
-line to model
induced flow:


| |
2 ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
2 ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( )
l o eff LO
o i LO
y
C a y y y
V c y
y
a y y y y
V c y

= =

= =



2 ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
LO i
o
y
y y y
a y V c y

= + +
where
2
2
( )
( ) 1
( )
4
b
o o
i
b o
d
y dy
w y dy
y
V V y y

= =

Note: only unknown is ) ( y !

We use a Fourier series to solve this.

=
N
n
n
n A bV
1
sin 2 where cos
2
b
y =

Thus, the governing equation is:


1 1
( )
4 sin
( ) sin ( )
( ) ( ) sin
i
N N
n LO n
n n o
b n
A n nA
a c

= =
= + +

y
x
(x)