AEE 3241 Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics
Spring 2024
Homework 2
Due: February 14th, 11:59 pm
The homework assignments are not team assignments and must be completed and
submitted by each student individually. The homework formatting rules apply.
1. The two-dimensional flow of a non-viscous, incompressible fluid in the vicinity of a
90∘ corner (shown in the figure) is described by the stream function
3
𝜓 = 𝑟 3⁄2 sin(2𝜃)
2
2⁄
where 𝜓 has units of 𝑚 𝑠 when 𝑟 is in meters. If the pressure at point (1) on the wall
is 40 kPa, what is the pressure at point (2)? Fluid density is 996 kg⁄m3. (10 points)
2. A Pitot tube on a flying airplane reads 𝑝0 − 𝑝∞ = 5000 N⁄m2. Local density of the air
and the speed of sound are 1.225 kg⁄m3 and 350 m⁄s, respectively.
a) Assume the flow field around this aircraft is incompressible and inviscid, what is
the velocity of the airplane, i.e., 𝑉∞ , in meters per second? (4 points)
b) Is the incompressible flow assumption valid for the flow field surrounding this
aircraft? Explain. (3 Points)
c) At a given point on the surface of the wing of this airplane, the flow velocity is
104 m⁄s. Calculate the pressure coefficient at this point. (4 points)
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AEE 3241 Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics
Spring 2024
3. The lift on a circular cylinder, spinning in a freestream with a velocity of 35 m⁄s and
density 1.225 kg⁄m3, is 6.6 N⁄m of span. Calculate the circulation around the
cylinder. (4 points)
4. As illustrated in the figure, a tornado can be approximated by a free vortex of strength
Γ for 𝑟 > 𝑅𝑐 , where 𝑅𝑐 is the radius of the core. Velocity measurements at points 𝐴
and 𝐵 indicate that 𝑉𝐴 = 125 ft⁄s and 𝑉𝐵 = 60 ft⁄s. Determine the distance from point
𝐴 to the center of the tornado. Why can the free vortex model not be used to
approximate the tornado throughout the flow field (𝑟 ≥ 0)? (5 points)
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AEE 3241 Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics
Spring 2024
5. Consider the flow around a flat plate airfoil at an angle of attack 𝛼.
a) Let’s split the airfoil to two panels and use point vortices on the edge points of each
panel as shown in the figure. For such flow, we can show that Γ3 = 0. Find Γ1 and
Γ2 by satisfying flow tangency at the panel midpoints. (10 points)
Hints:
• Consider the chord line to be the 𝑥-axis of the Cartesian coordinates. Thus,
(𝑋𝑖 , 0) denotes the coordinates to the 𝑖th vortex and (𝑥𝑖 , 0) is the coordinates
to the midpoint of the 𝑖th panel.
o The three vortices are located at 𝑋1 = 0, 𝑋2 = 0.5𝑐 and 𝑋3 = 𝑐.
o The midpoint of the panels can be found as 𝑥1 = 0.25𝑐 and 𝑥2 = 0.75𝑐.
• The complex flow is a superposition of the uniform free stream plus the three
vortices. To make sure that at the center of each panel flow velocity is tangent
to the plate, you must set the component of velocity normal to the plate at 𝑥1
and 𝑥2 to zero.
b) The answer to part (a) is just an approximation of the flow around a flat plate. This
is because the flow tangency condition is only enforced at two points on the plate.
We can improve our approximation by increasing the number of panels. Let’s split
the airfoil into 𝑁 panels and use point vortices on the edge points of each panel.
For such flow, we can show that Γ𝑁+1 = 0. Find the system of equations that must
be solved to compute Γ1 to Γ𝑁 . (5 points)
Hints:
• Like part (a), (𝑋𝑖 , 0) denotes the coordinates to the 𝑖th vortex and (𝑥𝑖 , 0) is the
coordinates to the midpoint of the 𝑖th panel.
o The 𝑁 + 1 vortices are at 𝑋1 = 0, …, 𝑋𝑖 = [𝑖 − 1] 𝑐 ⁄𝑁, …, 𝑋𝑁+1 = 𝑐.
o The midpoint to the 𝑖th panel can be found as 𝑥𝑖 = 0.5[𝑋𝑖+1 + 𝑋𝑖 ].
• The complex flow is a superposition of the uniform free stream plus the 𝑁 + 1
vortices. You don’t need to solve the final system of equations. Simply write
the mathematical expression for such system.
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