Lift Measurement from Pressure Wall Distribution

Aashish Lamba, Abhishek Khandelwal, Abhishek Singh, Adarsh Chandra Thakur, Aditya Duhan, Akhil Srivas
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram.

The experiment was done in blower type wind tunnel in aerodynamics lab in IIST to
determine the lift over an airfoil by measuring the pressure distribution on the top and
bottom wall of the test section. Variation of Lift and C l with Re (keeping AOA constant) and
AOA (keeping Re constant) were studied. It was found that the Cl decrease with Reynolds
number at a given AOA whereas lift and Cl increase with angle of attack at a given Re.

Nomenclature
RPM
Re
v
Cl
Cp
AoA

=
=
=
=
=
=

revolutions per minute

Reynoldss number
free stream velocity of the fluid
Lift Coefficient
Coefficient of Pressure
Angle of Attack

I.

Introduction

n airfoil is part of body or surface, such as a wing, propeller blade, or rudder, whose shape and orientation
control stability, direction, lift and drag. The geometry of the airfoil is described with a variety of terms.
As a wing moves through air, the air is split and passes above and below the wing. The wings upper surface is
shaped so the air rushing over the top speeds up and stretches out. This decreases the air pressure above the wing.
The air flowing below the wing moves in a straighter line, so its speed and air pressure remains the same.
Since high air pressure always moves toward low air pressure, the air below the wing pushes upward
toward the air above the wing. The wing is in the middle, and the whole wing is lifted. The faster an airplane
moves, the more lift there is. And when the force of lift is greater than the force of gravity, the airplane is able to fly.

An airfoil-shaped body moved through a fluid produces an

aerodynamic force. It seems complex but the forces generated are due to
mainly two sources which are pressure and shear stress distribution over
the body surface. The contribution due to shear is small as compared to
pressure forces. As a wing moves through air, the air is split and passes
above and below the wing. The wings upper surface is shaped so the air
rushing over the top speeds up and stretches out. This decreases the air
pressure above the wing. The air flowing below the wing moves in much
straighter line, so its speed and air pressure remains the same. Thus the
pressure difference between upper and lower surface is developed. When
this pressure distribution is integrated over the surface of the airfoil we get
resultant forces in two direction one parallel to the flow called Drag and
other perpendicular to the flow called Lift. The resultant force can be slip
in axial which is along the chord and normal which is perpendicular to
chord.

Figure 1. Forces on the airfoil

1

II. Theory
The pressures on the top and bottom walls are denoted
by Pu(x) and Pl(x) respectively. The walls are assumed to be
close enough to the model so that the pressure on the wall is not
necessarily P. Also assume that the surfaces ai and bh are far
enough upstream and downstream such that P=P, and that the
change in orientation of the airfoil, i.e. changing the angle of
attack does not change the pressure distribution on the ai and bh.
Now using the Reynolds Transport Theorem on the control
volume shown by control surface abcdefghi we can show that:

Figure 2. Control volume taken

Where,
L
Pl(x)
Pu(x)

= Lift on the airfoil

= pressure distribution on the lower wall with respect to x
= pressure distribution on the upper wall with respect to x

III. Experimental Setup

A blower type wind tunnel on a modular flow apparatus is used to conduct the
experiment which is having control setup and maximum speed of 1200rpm.The end
of the wind tunnel was placed with the test section consisting of a symmetric airfoil
with possible angle adjustments.
Measurement at various points of the test section is done using a multi tube
manometer which is connected to pressure sensor nodes, the nodes are further
connected to top and bottom surfaces of the test section.
Figure 3. Multitube manometer

IV. Procedure
The whole experimental setup is based on the theory of force equilibrium of a control volume that is the force
due to pressure difference between the upper and lower pressures in the test section has to be equal to the lift on the
airfoil present in the test section. In the above control volume equilibrium, assumption is the test section is
sufficiently larger than the airfoil.
The airfoil is placed in the test section and at the horizontal that is at 0 angle of attack. The wind tunnel is
maintained at 500rpm.Intially angle of attack is 0 and noted the value of pressure of all the nodes at upper and
lower surface. Again repeat with 3 ,6,9 ,12,13 and 15.Then repeat this experiment with rpm varying from 600
to 1000.

V. Results
From the observed values of manometer readings lift was calculated using the methodology given in the Theory
section. The Cl values were plotted against the angle of attack of the airfoil in Figure 4. Also the theoretical as well
as the Cl values obtained using XFoil simulation are also plotted in the same graph (Figure 4).
In Figure 5, Cl values for varying Reynolds number of the flow are plotted, along with XFoil simulation results.
2

1.5

Cl

0.5

0
0

-0.5

10

12

14

16

Angle of attack (in degrees)

Experimental

Theoritical

Xfoil Results

Linear (Experimental )

Figure 4. Variation of Cl with respect to angle of attack

0.8
0.7

Cl

0.6
0.5

Experimental Results
Xfoil Resuts

0.4
0.3
0.2
9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Reynolds number per length ( x 105 m-1 )

Figure 5. Variation of Cl with free stream velocity
3

16

17

18

From the manometer readings, the free stream velocities as well as the local velocities are calculated. Cp
values are thereby calculated and the variation of it along the test section is plotted in Figure 6.
The XFoil results for Cp variation along the airfoil for angle of attack of 9 degrees and 0.04 Mach number
are plotted in Figure 7.
0
-0.1 0

50

100

150

200

250

-0.2

Cp

-0.3
-0.4
-0.5
-0.6
-0.7
-0.8
-0.9

Distance from the start of test section (mm)

Top Surface

Bottom Surface

Figure 6. Variation of Cp along the test section

(for Reynolds number 1212874 and AoA of 9 degrees)

Figure 7. Variation of Cp along the airfoil NACA 0012 from XFoil

(for Reynolds number 1212874 and AoA of 9 degrees)
4

300

VI. Conclusion
From the Figure 4 between coefficient of lift and angle of attack we observe that the coefficient of lift
varies almost linearly with angle of attack. The theoretical as well as the XFoil plots in the same graph shows that
slope of graph obtained from the experiment is in good agreement with the theoretical value. From Figure 5 between
coefficient of lift and Reynolds number of the free stream flow, a decrement of coefficient of lift is observed as
increase in Reynolds number.
In Figure 6 of Cp variation along the test section for varying angle of attack, upper surface shows lower
value of Cp and lower surface gives larger values, which is responsible for the lift obtained. As mentioned in the
theory, when the control volume is taken, the magnitude of force acting on the control volume by the airfoil will be
equal to the force on the control volume due to the pressure distribution. Hence the lift acting on the airfoil is equal
to the force due to pressure distribution.

Appendix
Observations

Table 1. Observed values of manometer readings (in cms) for constant motor rpm = 700
AoA

h1

h2

h3

h4

h5

h6

h7

h8

h9

h10

h11

h12

h13

h14

h15

3
6
9
12
13
15

9.3
9.4
9.4
9.3
9.3
9.2

9.4
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.4

9.4
9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6
9.5

9.5
9.7
9.8
9.9
9.9
9.8

9.5
9.7
9.8
9.9
9.9
9.9

9.5
9.8
9.9
10.1
10.1
10.1

9.6
9.9
10
10.2
10.2
10.2

9.6
9.8
10
10.1
10.2
10.2

9.6
9.9
10
10.1
10.2
10.2

9.7
9.9
10
10.1
10.1
10.2

9.6
9.8
9.8
9.9
9.9
10

9.7
9.7
9.8
9.8
9.8
9.9

9.7
9.8
9.8
9.8
9.8
9.8

9.3
9.3
9.2
9.2
9.1
9

9.4
9.4
9.3
9.3
9.2
9.1

Table 2. Observed values of manometer readings (in cms) for constant motor rpm = 700
AoA

h16

h17

h18

h19

h20

h21

h22

h23

h24

h25

h26

h27

h28

h29

h30

3
6
9
12
13
15

9.5
9.4
9.3
9.2
9.2
9.1

9.6
9.4
9.3
9.2
9.1
9

9.7
9.5
9.4
9.2
9.2
9.1

9.8
9.5
9.4
9.2
9.2
9.1

9.8
9.5
9.4
9.2
9.2
9.2

9.7
9.5
9.4
9.2
9.2
9.2

9.8
9.6
9.5
9.3
9.3
9.3

9.7
9.6
9.5
9.4
9.4
9.4

9.7
9.6
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5

9.6
9.6
9.6
9.5
9.5
9.5

9.6
9.6
9.6
9.6
9.6
9.6

9.3
9.3
9.2
9.1
9.1
9

6
6
6
6
5.9
5.9

9.5
9.4
9.3
9.2
9.2
9.1

9.6
9.4
9.3
9.2
9.1
9

Table 3. Observed values of manometer readings (in cms) for constant angle of attack = 60
RPM

h1

h2

h3

h4

h5

h6

h7

h8

h9

h10

h11

h12

h13

h14

h15

500
600
700
800
900
1000

9.4
9.4
9.4
9.3
9.3
9.2

9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5

9.4
9.4
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5

9.5
9.6
9.7
9.8
9.9
10

9.5
9.6
9.7
9.7
9.8
9.9

9.6
9.7
9.8
9.9
10
10.1

9.7
9.7
9.9
10
10.1
10.2

9.7
9.7
9.8
9.9
10
10.1

9.7
9.7
9.9
10
10.1
10.2

9.7
9.7
9.9
10
10.1
10.2

9.6
9.6
9.8
9.9
10
10.1

9.6
9.6
9.7
9.8
9.9
10

9.6
9.7
9.8
9.8
9.9
10

9.3
9.3
9.3
9.2
9.2
9.1

9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.3
9.3

Table 4. Observed values of manometer readings (in cms) for constant angle of attack = 60
RPM

h16

h17

h18

h19

h20

h21

h22

h23

h24

h25

h26

h27

h28

h29

h30

500
600
700
800
900
1000

9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4

9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4

9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.6

9.5
9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6
9.6

9.5
9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6
9.7

9.5
9.5
9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6

9.5
9.6
9.6
9.7
9.7
9.8

9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6
9.6
9.6

9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6
9.7
9.7

9.5
9.5
9.6
9.6
9.7
9.7

9.5
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.7
9.8

9.3
9.2
9.3
9.1
9
8.9

7.2
7
6
4.9
3.8
2.6

9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4

9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4
9.4

Sample Calculations
For rpm=600 and AOA=6 degrees,
hr
= 9.5cm
h2
=9.5cm
P2
= Patm=101325- 791.8
= 101325Pa
H15
=9.4cm
P15
= Patm= 101325-791.8
= 101330.486Pa
L
=Fupper-Flower
2
= {P15
1}-{P2
}
={101330.486
}-{101325
}
=0.192N
Similarly for all the points we can calculate lift. Total lift will be the summation of all.
Total lift = 2.086316 N
h29
= 9.2 cm
h30
=7.0 cm
P
= 791.89.81x(h29-h30)x0.707
= 120.6N/m2
V

Cl=

= 14.03 m/s
= 0.345

Uncertainty Analysis
cm,

cm

=0.014
cm

=0.014
6

=0.02
cm
cm

=0.017

=0.0085

=0.0265

Acknowledgments
We are highly indebted to Dr. Vinoth B.R (Assistant professor, Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Space
Science and Technology) for his guidance and constant supervision as well as for providing necessary information
regarding the project & also for their support in completing the project. We would like to express our gratitude
towards the lab assistant and Mr. Rithwik for his kind co-operation and encouragement which help me in completion
of this project.

References
Books
[1] Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, Fifth edition by John D Anderson Jr.
[2] Fundamentals of Gas Dynamics, by R. Zucker and O. Biblarz

Private Communications and Web Sites

[1] http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/tunpart.html
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/Wind_tunnel