ME163 Aerodynamics Project 2: Vortex Panel Method

Nhan Lac

Abstract

This project shows how to simulate the air flow over the cylinder shape with lift and no lift by using
vortex panel method, also, in this project I will use Matlab to calculate the !
!
or over the surface. Moreover, I
will find the separation points for each case.

Problem Description

Figure 1: Vortex panel geometry
Xi and Xi+1 are vortices. Their midpoint xi is the control point. With a uniform flow U at an angle of attack !,
the resultant potential field is described in Eqn 1.
! !! ! ! !"#$%& !!"#$%& !
! !
!
!!
!"!
!!
!!!
!
!!!
!
!!
!
!
!
"#$
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! !
!
! !
!
!!!
!!!
!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
(2)
At the control points i, the normal velocity comments vanish such that
!"
!"
!
!
! ! "#$

from the equation (3), we derive to equation (4)
!
!!
!"
!!
!!
!"
!
!!!
! !!"#$% !
!
!!
!
!!!
"9$
where the coefficients are given as
!
!!
!"
! !!!!" !!" !!
!!
!"
":$
!
!!
!"
! ! !
!!!!"
!
!
! !" !!" !!!
!
";$
! ! ! !
!
!!
!
!"#!
!
! !
!
!!
!
!"#!
!
"<$
! ! !
!
!!
!
!
! !
!
!!
!

!
"=$
! ! !"#!!
!
! !
!
! ">$
! ! !
!
!!
!
!"#!
!
! !
!
!!
!
!"#!
!
"#?$
! ! !" ! !
!
!
!
!!!!
!
!
"##$
! ! !"#
!!
!!
!
!!!!
!
"#7$
! ! !
!
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!
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!
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!
! ! !
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! !!
!
! "#@$
! ! !
!
!!
!
!"#!!
!
!!!
!
! ! !
!
!!
!
!"#!!
!
! !!
!
! "#9$
Kutta condition requires the vortices strength at the trailing edge to be zero:
!
!
!
!!
!!!
!
! ! "#:$
./A !
!
31 B.0B60.)'A C4 )&' D+00+%3/2 D+(E60.
!
!
! !"# !
!
!! ! !!
!!
!"
!
!!!
!
!
!
!!
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!"
!
!!!
!
! ! ! !!!! !! ! "#;$
./A %' B+E' 6- %3)& )&' /',) '56.)3+/ D+( !
!

!
!"
! ! !!
!
!
"#<$
After I plot the !
!
distribution, I am able to figure out the lift and drag acting on the body. The velocities
obtained !
!
are also used to find separation points according to Twaities' criteria:
! !
!!!"
!
!
!
!
!!
!
!"
! !
!
!
! !" ! !!!!"
!
!
(18)
where !
!
is the external velocity of the ow which is the same as !
!
from Eqn (16). The integration starts from
stagnation points, which are very close to 0.
To calculate the value of !
!
and !
!
, the inputs are a set of cylinder array, the number of the vortex panels
which are 32, 64 and 128, and the Kutta condition angle !. Using the vortex panel method, I can get the values
of V from the equation (16), and pressure coefficient distribution !
!
on the cylinder which are corresponding
with set of array x and y. After that, I use those values as inputs to plot !
!
and the angle ! as semiology to find
the separation points.

Flow around a cylinder: no-lift

The flow around a cylinder without any lift is analyzed with the angle of attack is zero, the Kutta
condition is imposed at ! = -18!
!
with ! is defined clockwise from the leading edge. With the equation (16)
and (18), I plot |K+0.09| versus to the angle and the smallest value of |K+0.09| is considered as the separation
points. The result below (figure 2) shows the !
!
contribution in two methods.


F326(' 7G Results from vortex panel method and potential flow theory for no-lift condition
And from equation (18) and the data !
!
from the previous calculation, we can find the separation points base on the
smallest values of |K+0.09| of each partial that easy to see on the figure 3. We can see that the separation points
occur at !!"2.6
0
, which are very close to !103.1
0
. Therefore, the separation angles !
!
are !103.1
0
as upper and
lower sides.


Figure 3: Separation points for no-lift condition


Flow around a cylinder: lifting

This is the same with no-lift part above but with ! = -15!
!
while everything else is the same. The results
are showed in the figure 4 and 5.


F326(' 9G Results from vortex panel method and potential flow theory for lift condition

Figure 5: Separation points for lift condition

Base on the figure 5 and its data, the separation points at the angle !
!
! !"#! !
!
!"# !!"! !
!
which are
upper and lower side.

Conclusion

This project gives me have a close look to vortex panel and separation points over the cylinder shape
with lift and no lift condition; also, to know more about Kutta condition and attack angle ! and its effect to the
velocity of vortices and separation points. Base on the results of two cases, we can see that the first case is
symmetric through the horizontal line which start right at the attack point with ! ! !!"!
!
!" ! ! !
!
while the
second case isnt symmetric at all.