Joukowski Mapping

The Problem of the Airfoil

Consider the ideal flow past a given airfoil at a fixed angle of attack

These flows differ only by

To choose the realistic flow solution we employ what is know as the Kutta
condition, that the flow leave smoothly from the trailing edge. The Kutta condition
is an empirical observation that results from the tendency of the viscous boundary
layer to separate at a salient edge.
u
u

The Problem of the Airfoil

Terminology
Lift l per unit span

Cl =

Lift coefficient
Chord c

l
2
1

V
c
2

Kutta Joukowski Thm. l = V

V
Invariance of Circulation under Mapping

+ iq =

-plane
op
Lo

Loop

z-plane

~
=

W ( z )dz

loop

d
~
dz
= W ( )
dz
loop
~
= W ( )d
loop

dz
~
W ( ) = W ( z )
d

~
= + iq~

Symbol Conventions
Mapping

Initial Flow

Our
Mappings
to this
Point

z-plane
F ( z)

=(z)

iy

dF
W ( z) =
dz

-plane

The
Joukowski
Mapping

-plane

i F~ ( ) = F ( z ( ))

~
dz
dF
~
W ( ) =
=W
d
d

Critical at

~
F ( )
~
dF
~
W ( ) =
d

Mapped Flow

d
=0
dz

z= z()

Critical at

dz
=0
d

iy

z-plane

~
F ( z ) = F ( ( z ))
dF ~ d
=W
W ( z) =
dz
dz

x
4

Joukowski Mapping

C = real > 0

Effects on Space
-plane

z = + C /
2

z-plane

Critical Points?

-C

-2C

2C

C z 2C
=

+
+
C
z
2
C

Behavior at ?

Consider a Series of Circles Cutting

the Right-Hand Critical Point
-plane

1. 1=0
2. Re{1}=0, Im{1}>0
3. Re{1}<0, Im{1}=0

4. Re{1}<0, Im{1}>0
a adjusted so circle always
cuts right-hand critical point

1. 1=0

Circle coincident
with mapping circle

z = + C2 /
-plane

z-plane

V a 2 e i
~
i
F ( ) = V e +
1

The Flat Plate

2. Re{1}=0, Im{1}>0
-plane

-plane

z = + C2 /

Circle centered on
imaginary axis
z-plane

z-plane

The Circular Arc

Im{1} controls camber

3. Re{1}<0, Im{1}=0
-plane

-plane

z = + C2 /

Circle centered on
negative real axis
z-plane

z-plane

The Symmetric Airfoil9

Re{1} controls thickness

4. Re{1}<0, Im{1}>0
-plane

-plane

z = + C2 /

Circle centered in
2nd quadrant
z-plane

z-plane

The Cambered Airfoil

Re{1} controls thickness.
Im{1} controls camber

10

Mapping an Airfoil Flow

1 = mei
C 1 = ae i

-plane
2/
C
+
z=

~
F ( z ) = F ( ( z ))
dF ~ d
=W
W ( z) =
dz
dz

z-plane

2C

>0

V a 2 ei i
~
i
F ( ) = V e +
log e ( 1 )

1 2
V a 2 e i
i
~
i
W ( ) = V e

( 1 ) 2 2 ( 1 )
11

Results for Lift

-plane

z=+C2/

dz
C2
= 1 2

z-plane

2C

V
1. The lift on an airfoil varies as the sine
of the angle of attack or, for small
angles, linearly with angle of attack
2. The primary (and almost exclusive)
influence of camber in controlling the
zero lift angle of attack -
3. The lift curve slope at zero angle of
attack is 2 for a flat plate, and
increases weakly with increasing
thickness and camber

l = V = 4V2 a sin( + )
Cl =

l
8a
=
sin( + )
2
1
c
2 V c

Where
and

aC

and a and c increase

slowly with camber and
thickness

c 4C
a C c/4

for a thin airfoil

12

Obtaining the Pressure Distribution

-plane

z=+C2/

dz
C2
= 1 2

z-plane

2C

V
V a 2 ei
i
~
i

W ( ) = V e
( 1 ) 2 2 ( 1 )

d
~
W ( z ) = W ( )
dz

1. Choose a set of points on the circle

|circ = 1 + aei
2. For these points determine
with
~
= 4aV sin( + )
W ( |circ )
Velocity on the circle
dz
C2
= 1 2
Derivative of mapping
|circ
d circ
C2
z |airfoil = |circ +
Airfoil coordinates
|circ
3. Evaluate Cp on the airfoil using
2

d
Bernoulli
C p |airfoil = 1 W ( z ) 2 / V2 = 1 W ( |circ ) 2
/ V2
dz circ
4. Plot Cp vs x, i.e Cp|airfoil vs Re{zairfoil}
13