ME 425: AERODYNAMICS

- Dr. A.B.M. Toufique Hasan

Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, BUET

Lecture # 2
March 3, 2015

ME425: Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic Forces and Moments

The aerodynamic forces and moments acting on a body (while flowing
through the air/gas) are due to only two basic sources
(i) pressure distribution over the body surface
(ii) shear stress distribution over the body surface (Viscous effect)
p = pressure/pressure force normal to surface

= shear stress/shear force tangential to surface

The net effect of the p and distributions integrated over the completer body
surface is a resultant aerodynamic force R and moment M on the body as-

ME425: Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic Forces and Moments

Now, the resultant R can be spited into two componentsLift

(= L) Component of R perpendicular to v

Drag (= D) Component of R parallel to v

R

LE

Chord line

TE

c
c = chord length of the airfoil
= Angle of Attack (AOA) ()
v = Free stream velocity

ME425: Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic Forces and Moments

In aerodynamics, some dimensionless coefficients

are of importance. Let and v be the density and
velocity, respectively, in the freestream far ahead of
the body. Then1
2
(Pa)
free-stream dynamic pressure q = v

Again let S be a reference area and c be a reference length,

the aerodynamic coefficients are defined by,

Lift Coefficient , C L =

L
q S

Drag Coefficient , C D =

D
q S

Moment Coefficient , C M

Area S

Top view of wing

M
=
q Sc

ME425: Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic Forces and Moments

In contrast, for a 2D body, the reference area, S = c(1) = c. Then

Lift Coefficient , Cl =

L
q c

Drag Coefficient , C d =

; L = sectional lift force

D
q c

Moment Coefficient , C m =

; D = sectional drag force

M

q c 2

; M = sectional moment

ME425: Aerodynamics

Pressure distribution on an airfoil

The pressure on the surface of an airfoil is not uniform. In aerodynamics,
the dimensionless pressure i.e. the pressure coefficient is
conventionally used rather than the dimensional pressure. The
pressure coefficient, cp is defined by

cp =
Where

p ( x ) p
q

p,v ,

p(x)
p(x)

p (x)= local pressure on the airfoil surface

p = free-stream pressure
q = free-stream dynamic pressure = v2

A positive pressure coefficient implies a pressure greater than the freestream value; a negative coefficient implies a pressure less than the
free-stream value.
ME425: Aerodynamics

Pressure distribution on an airfoil

contd

At a stagnation point (v = 0), cp has its maximum value of 1.0 for

incompressible flow. However, there is no overall lower limit of its value.

Upper surface

Lower surface

Pressure distribution over NACA0012 (M = 0.15, Re = 6106)

ME425: Aerodynamics

Pressure distribution on an airfoil

contd

shock wave

Pressure distribution over RAE2822 (M = 0.73, Re = 6106, = 3)

The total area enclosed by the curve gives directly the value of lift
coefficient, cl
ME425: Aerodynamics

Pressure distribution on an airfoil

contd

At zero incidence ( = 0), it is seen that there are small regions at the
leading edge and trail where cp is positive but that over most of the
section cp is negative.

ME425: Aerodynamics

Pressure distribution on an airfoil

contd

The reduced pressure on the upper surface is tending to draw the section
upwards while that on the lower surface has the opposite effect. With the
pressure distribution as sketched, the effect on the upper surface is larger
and there is a resultant upward directed force on the section, that is the
LIFT.
As incidence is increased from zero the pressure reduction on the upper surface increases. At large
incidence, it actually encroaches on a small part of the front lower surface.
The stagnation point moves progressively further back on the lower
surface, and the increased pressure covers a greater portion of the
surface. Thus at higher angles of attack, the lift is partly due to pressure
reduction on the upper surface and partly due to pressure increase on the
lower surface.

ME425: Aerodynamics

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