Example: Application of Momentum Equation

An airfoil is tested inside a wind tunnel. The cross-section of the test section is rectangular as
shown in the diagram below. A control volume is drawn around the rectangular cross-section.
The top and bottom boundaries, 2 and 4, coincide with the upper and lower walls, while the other
boundaries, 1 and 3, extend vertically between the walls. The velocity everywhere in the wind
tunnel is in the x coordinate direction only. The mass flow rate is constant throughout the tunnel.
The relations below give the pressure on the upper and lower surfaces Pu, Pl, and velocity profile
at surface 3, U3. The velocity at entrance 1 is uniform at U

. The maximum value of the exit

velocity profile is U
e,
which is 1.2 times U

. The pressure is at walls 2 and 4, is P

. Find,
a) The constant density at the exit surface,
e
as a function of


b) Using the steady state momentum equation, find the Drag force.
c) Now, find the Lift force.

On surface 3: On surface 4:





a) Missing parameters in the inlet and exit profiles can be found using the steady state continuity
equation. This problem uses the 2D version with a typical control volume shown in the figure
below.

The closed loop integration proceeds in a counter-clockwise
direction, consistent with mathematical convention. In 2D,
every control volume is defined by a bounding curve c,
consisting of line segments. A typical segment is shown as
segment A in the figure, defined by nodes i+1and i. The
numbering sequence of nodes is counter-clockwise. In
vector analysis, each segment is represented by a vector dl,
which points in a direction normal outward on the segment.
The magnitude of dl is equal to the segment length. The
vector dl can be constructed from the produce of the segment unit normal vector and the segment
Boundaries:
1. Uniform velocity, U

,
density

2. Pressure, P
u
(x)
3. Velocity, U
3
(y),
U
e
=1.2U

4. Pressure, P
l
(x)
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
h
y
U y U
e
2
cos 5 . 0 1 ) (
3

y=-h
L
D

y=h
x
wall
wall
x=-b/2
x=b/2
x=0
(

|
.
|

\
|
=

b
x
P x P
u

cos
10
1
1 ) (
(

|
.
|

\
|
+ =

b
x
P x P
l

cos
20
1
1 ) (
0 ) 2 ( 0 ) 3 ( = =

l d V D s d V D
C S
r
o
r
r
o
v

Control
Volume
i
i+1 i+2

segment A
C
length, shown below. With dl defined as such, its scalar product with the vector V gives the
mass flow rate of fluid through the segment. The continuity equation then represents the sum of
all mass fluxes moving through each control volume boundary segment.


If the dashed line in the first figure represents the control volume, only two surfaces, 1 and 3
need be considered in the continuity equation since no mass flows through wall surfaces 2 and 4.
The continuity equation is then,

b) The drag force is found from the x momentum equation since the flow of air in the wind
tunnel is in this direction. The steady state, 2D x momentum equation is

In this case, the upper and lower surfaces of the wind tunnel are parallel with the x axis so that
pressure forces acting on these surfaces act entirely in the y direction. The pressure term in the
drag equation above is zero.
2 2
2 2
) ( ) (
) ( ) (
dy dx
dy dx
j dx i dy
dl n l d +
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

= =
r r
r
j dx i dy l d
r r r
=
i i i i
y y dy x x dx = =
+ + 1 1
0 ) ( ) 0 ( ) ( ) 0 (
1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
= + + + =

j dx i dy j i u j dx i dy j i u l d V
h
h
h
h c
r r
o
r r r r
o
r r r
o
r

0
1 1 3 3
= +

dy u dy u
h
h
h
h

0
1 1 3 3
=


dy u dy u
h
h
h
h

0
2
cos 5 . 0 1 2 . 1 =
(

|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|

dy u dy
h
y
u
h
h
h
h
e

0 2
1
1 4 . 2 =
|
.
|

\
|


h u h u
e

= 2225 . 1
e
( )

=
c
x x
c
R l pd u l d V
r r
o
r

( )

=
c
x
c
l pd u l d V Drag
r r
o
r

The drag is determined by momentum fluxes at the exit and entrance, surfaces 1 and 3.


c) The lift force on the airfoil can be obtained from the y momentum equation.


Since the flow of air is entirely in the x direction at both faces 1 and 3, these segments on the
control volume surface do not contribute to the y momentum integral.





(
(

+ + + =

h
h
h
h
u j dx i dy j i u u j dx i dy j i u Drag
1 1 1 3 3 3
) ( ) 0 ( ) ( ) 0 (
r r
o
r r r r
o
r r

(
(

=


h
h
h
h
dy u dy u Drag
2
1 1
2
3 3
) ( ) (
(
(

=


h
h
h
h
dy u dy u Drag
2
1 1
2
3 3
) ( ) (
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=



h
h
h
h
dy u dy
h
y
u Drag
2
2
) (
2
cos 5 . 0 1 2 . 1 ) 2225 . 1 (

h u h u h u Drag
2 2 2
277 . 0 2
4
1 4
2 7604 . 1

=
(

|
.
|

\
|
+ =

( )

=
c
y
c
l pd v l d V Lift
r r
o
r

(
(

=
(
(

+ =

2 /
2 /
2 /
2 /
4 2
2 /
2 /
2 /
2 /
4 4 2 2
) ( ) (
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
dx p dx p j dx p j dx p Lift
r r
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =

dx
b
x
p
b
x
p Lift
b
b
2 /
2 /
cos
10
1
1 cos
20
1
1

=
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
=

p
b
dx
b
x
p Lift
b
b

10
3
cos
20
3
2 /
2 /