Panel Methods

Source and Vortex

• Point Source +

• Point Vortex
 dz in Polar Form
ix

ds z+dz

z

x
 Panels Singularity distributed along a line

Example: The Source Panel (or Sheet)

q z1
Consider a point source + W ( z) 
2 ( z  z1 )
Imagine spreading the source along a line. We would then end up with a
certain strength per unit length q(s) that could vary with distance s along
the line. z
ds
s
z1
 Constant Strength Source Panel
ds b

vn z1 z
vs

a

The panel is not a solid boundary to the flow. To make it behave like one you would
Vortex?
set the strength q so that the total vn (due to the panel and the flow) is zero
 A Simple Source Panel Method
For flow past an arbitrary body

• Break up the body surface into N

straight panels. control
point
• Write an expression for the normal
component of velocity at the middle of
the panel from the sum of all the
velocities produced by the panels and
the free stream. Gives N expressions.
• Given that each expression must be panel
equal to zero, solve the N equations
for the N strengths
 Defining the N Panels
za(3)
• Number the panels anticlockwise, 1 to N zb(2) za(2)
mth
• Define N coordinates za that identify the control
start of every panel (going counter point
3
clockwise), and zb that identify the end of 2

every panel. 1
N
dz i zb  za
• Each panel has a slope ds  e  z  z
N-1

b a nth
So, if W(z) is the velocity of the whole flow, panel zb(N-1)
 dz 
 Im W ( z )  is the component normal za(N-1)
 ds  to the panel

• We pick a control point very close to the

center of the panel at zb  zc

zc  1
2 za  zb   i ( zb  za ) za
Center point Displacement  <<1 (say 0.001)
 Completing the Method
(n)
N
(n) 1  z  za ( n )  ds
Velocity produced by whole W ( z )  W   q log e  (n) 

flow is n 1 2  z  zb  dz1
1

Velocity at the control point of dz

(m) N
1  z (m)
 z
(n)
 ds
(n)
dz
(m)

the mth panel zc(m) in panel  W 1   q ( n ) log e  c( m ) a ( n )  1

aligned components is ds n 1 2  zc  zb  dz1 ds

So, velocity normal to  dz1 ( m )  N ( n ) C ( m ,n )

 Im  W    q Im{C ( m ,n ) }
the mth panel is  ds  n 1
 dz1 ( m )  N ( n )
Velocity parallel to  Re  W    q Re{C ( m ,n ) } 2
the mth panel is  ds  n 1
We want the normal velocity to be zero, so this is what we use to get the q’s
 dz1 ( m )  N ( n ) Once we have solved
We write  Im  W    q Im{C ( m ,n ) } this for the q’s we can
 ds  n 1 use eqn. 2 to get the
1xN matrix velocities along the body
Or 1xN result matrix NxN matrix of surface, or eqn. 1 to get
(known) = of strengths x ceoffs (known)
(unknown) them anywhere else
 Computational Steps
• Define coordinates of start and end of panels za and zb za( n ) , zb( n )
dz i zb  za
• Compute the panel slopes e 
ds zb  za

• Put the control points next to the panel centers zc  12 za  zb   i ( zb  za )

 dz1 ( m) 
• Determine the component of W∞ normal to each panel  Im  W 
 ds 
(n)
• Determine the influence coefficients 1  zc( m )  za ( n )  ds dz1
(m)

C ( m ,n )  log e  ( m ) (n) 

2  zc  zb  dz1 ds

• Solve the matrix problem, i.e. matrix divide Im{C ( m,n ) } by  dz1 ( m) 
 Im  W 
 ds 
• Compute the flow velocities and pressures
ConstantSourcePanel.m

Matlab Code

(n)
za( n ) , zb( n ) , dz1 ds

zc(n )

C ( m ,n )

 dz1 ( m)  Result
 Im  W  matrix
 ds 
Matrix div.
 dz1 ( m )  N ( n ) Velocities
Re  W    q Re{C ( m ,n ) } along body
 ds  n 1 surface
  dz1 ( m )  N ( n )
 Im  W    q Im{C ( m ,n ) }
 ds  n 1

 res(1)   Im{C (1,1) } Im{C (1, 2 ) }  Im{C (1,n ) }  Im{C (1, N ) }  q(1) 
    ( 2 ) 
 res( 2)   Im{C }
( 2 ,1)
  q 
        
   
 res( m)   Im{C }  q 
( m ,1) ( m ,n ) (n)
Im{C }
     



    
 res( N )   Im{C ( N ,1) } ( N , N )  ( N ) 
   Im{C }  q 

mth
control
point
3
2
1
N
N-1
q(n)
nth
panel
ConstantSourcePanel.m
Matlab Code Ideas:
1. Non-Uniform Free Stream
E.g. Suppose
free stream
includes, say a
doublet outside
the body at a
location x=5, so
10
W  1 
( z  5) 2
ConstantSourcePanel.m
Matlab Code Ideas:
2. More than one body
E.g. Suppose
we have two
circles
ConstantSourcePanel.m
Matlab Code Ideas:
3. Use more sophisticated panels
E.g. Panels with
linearly varying
strength
LinearSourcePanel.m

3. Linear Source Panel Method

E.g. Panels with
linearly varying
strength
 3. Linear Source Panels
qc
Constant Linear strength
strength panels panels
c
qb
qa
b b
qa

a a

Influence of qa Influence of qb
depends only depends on panel
panel ab ab and panel bc
LinearSourcePanel.m

3. Linear Source Panel Method

E.g. Panels with
linearly varying
strength
LinearSourcePanel.m
Matlab Code Ideas:
4.Change to vortex panel method
q
W ( z) 
2 ( z  z1 )

 i
W ( z) 
2 ( z  z1 )
  dz1 ( m )  N ( n )
 Im  W    q Im{C ( m ,n ) }
 ds  n 1

 res(1)   Im{C (1,1) } Im{C (1, 2 ) }  Im{C (1,n ) }  Im{C (1, N ) }  q(1) 
    ( 2 ) 
 res( 2)   Im{C }
( 2 ,1)
  q 
        
   
 res( m)   Im{C }  q 
( m ,1) ( m ,n ) (n)
Im{C }
     



    
 res( N )   Im{C ( N ,1) } ( N , N )  ( N ) 
   Im{C }  q 

mth
control
point
3
2
1
N
N-1
q(n)
nth
panel
 LinearVortexPanel.m
(see also Matlab Code Ideas:
ConstantVortexPanel.m)
4. Vortex panel method
 LinearVortexPanel.m
(see also Matlab Code Ideas:
ConstantVortexPanel.m)
5. Set a Kutta Condition
Kutta condition
requires that
surface vorticity
at trailing edge is
zero.
LinearVortexPanelKutta.m
Matlab Code Ideas:
5. Kutta Condition Code
Kutta condition
requires that
surface vorticity
at trailing edge is
zero.
  dz1 ( m )  N ( n )
 Im  W    q Im{C ( m ,n ) }
 ds  n 1

 res(1)   Im{C (1,1) } Im{C (1, 2 ) }  Im{C (1,n ) }  Im{C (1, N ) }  q(1) 
    ( 2 ) 
 res( 2)   Im{C }
( 2 ,1)
  q 
        
   
 res( m)   Im{C }  q 
( m ,1) ( m ,n ) (n)
Im{C }
     



    
 res( N )   Im{C ( N ,1) } ( N , N )  ( N ) 
   Im{C }  q 

mth
control
point
3
2
1
N
N-1
q(n)
nth
panel
 Something to watch out for…
• The control-point equation
zc  12 za  zb   i ( zb  za )
Center point Displacement 

assumes that as you move from a to b you are

progressing counter-clockwise around the body surface.
(For clockwise you need to reverse the sign before i).