ISSN 1068-7998, Russian Aeronautics (Iz.VUZ), 2009, Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 408–412. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2009.

Original Russian Text © R.B. Salimov, A.G. Labutkin, 2009, published in Izvestiya VUZ. Aviatsionnaya Tekhnika, 2009, No. 4, pp. 22–24.

AERO- AND GAS-DYNAMICS

OF FLIGHT VEHICLES AND THEIR ENGINES

A Method for Constructing an Airfoil

Using a Specified Chord Velocity Diagram
R. B. Salimov and A. G. Labutkin
Kazan State University of Architecture and Building Construction, Kazan, Russia
Received May 4, 2009

Abstract—A problem of determining a shape of the airfoil being streamlined by a potential

incompressible inviscid flow is solved by the successive approximation method using a specified
chord velocity diagram. It is shown that a closed airfoil that possesses a specified chord velocity
diagram can be constructed with a sufficient accuracy; if the chord diagram is unsuccessfully
specified, the closed airfoil may prove to be not univalent, that is, physically unrealizable.
DOI: 10.3103/S1068799809040060
Key words: airfoil, chord diagram, flow velocity.

An airfoil Lz located in the plane z = x + iy is streamlined by a steady-state noneddying flow of the

incompressible inviscid fluid. Let w = ϕ + iψ = w( z ) be the complex flow potential, v∞ exp(iβ∞ ) is the
flow velocity at infinity. Here we have ln w′( z ) = ln v − iβ, where v = w′( z ) is the velocity modulus, β is
the angle of the velocity vector inclination to the Ox axis at the point z = x + iy. We will consider that the
chord of the airfoil Lz is directed along the Ox axis (Fig. 1a). It is required that a shape of the airfoil be
determined if the distribution of the velocity magnitude v along the airfoil outline is specified as a chord
diagram: v = v( x ) ≡ f1 ( x ), 0 ≤ x ≤ t on the upper airfoil surface, v = v( x ) ≡ f2 ( x ), 0 ≤ x ≤ t ⎯on its lower
surface, and here we have f1 (0) = f2 (0), f1 (t ) = f2 (t ), where t is the chord length. The functions f1 ( x ),
f2 ( x ) will be considered to be nonnegative, unique and satisfying Helder’s condition. Let A1 ( x = t ) and
B1 ( x = 0) be the points of flow branching and decent, respectively, that is, f1 (0) = 0, f1 (t ) = 0. We will
assume that the trailing edge B1 (like the leading one) is an ordinary point, that is, rounded.

(a) (b)

Fig. 1.

Let us assume that the stream function on the airfoil is ψ = 0. For the velocity potential ϕ = ϕ( x ) on
the airfoil we will obtain

408
 A METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING AN AIRFOIL 409

x
ds
ϕ( x ) = ∫ f1 ( x ) dx (1)
t
dx
on the upper surface,
t
ds
ϕ( x ) = ∫ f2 ( x ) dx (2)
x
dx
on the lower surface. Here s = s( x ) is the length of the airfoil arc measured from the flow branching point
in the direction at which the flow region remains at the right. We will denote
0 t
ds ds
ϕup = ∫ f1 ( x ) dx; ϕl = ∫ f2 ( x ) dx. (3)
t
dx 0
dx
Then the velocity circulation Γ along the airfoil will be equal to
Γ = ϕup − ϕl . (4)
As is known [1], the equality
Γ
ϕ( x ) = −2U 0 cos γ + γ +C (5)
2π
establishes the correspondence between the points of the airfoil Lz and the circle ζ = 1 at the conformal
mapping of the domain that is exterior to Lz onto the ζ > 1 domain (Fig. 1b) by the function z = z(ζ );
from here on, it is considered that z(∞) = ∞, and assumed that the circle ζ = 1 is streamlined with the
circulation Γ by the plane-parallel flow that has the complex velocity −U 0 at the infinitely distant point;
in this case, the real constants U 0 , C are determined by the formulas ( Γ ≠ 0 ):
⎛ ϕup 1 ⎞
cot γ1 = −γ1 − a, a = π ⎜ − ⎟; (6)
⎝ Γ 2⎠
Γ
U0 = − ; (7)
4 π sin γ1
1⎛ Γ⎞
C = ⎜ ϕup − ⎟ . (8)
2⎝ 2⎠
To the points A 1 , B1 of the airfoil sought there correspond on the circle the points eiγ1 , ei γ 2
( γ 2 = π − γ1 ) , respectively. The real and imaginary parts of the boundary values z(eiγ ) = x( γ ) + iy( γ ) of
the function z(ζ ) are connected by the relationship [2, 3]:
2π
1 θ−γ
y( γ ) =
2π ∫0 x(θ)cot 2
d θ + 2 A sin γ + 2 B cos γ + B0 , (9)

where A, B, B0 are the real arbitrary constants. By differentiating function (9), we will obtain the
derivative
2π
1 θ−γ
y′( γ ) =
2π ∫0 x′(θ)cot 2
d θ + 2 A cos γ − 2 B sin γ. (10)

It is more convenient to use further instead of (9) the following formula:

γ 2π
1 θ−γ
y( γ ) = ∫ d γ ∫ x ′(θ) cot
2π γ1 0 2
d θ + 2 A sin γ + 2 B cos γ + K , (11)

where K is the integration constant.

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410 SALIMOV, LABUTKIN

In the problem under consideration when the chord diagram is specified, the relation x = x( γ ) cannot
be determined immediately from formula (5) since the function ds( x ) dx = 1 cos η( x ) is unknown, where
η = η( x ) is the angle formed by the tangent to the airfoil Lz with the Ox axis. In this connection, we will
use the successive approximation method for solving the problem [2].
Let L(0)
z be the known airfoil with the chord of length t directed along the Ox axis, and the function
z (0) (ζ ) offers conformal mapping of the domain ζ >1 onto the exterior L(0)
z , here
iγ
z (e ) = x ( γ ) + iy ( γ ). Let s ( x ) be the arc length of this airfoil measured in the same direction as
(0) (0) (0) (0)

on Lz , η(0) ( x ) is the angle formed by the tangent to the exterior L(0)

z with the Ox axis, then

2 2
ds(0) ( x ) 1 ⎡⎣ x ′(0) ( γ ) ⎤⎦ + ⎡⎣ y′(0) ( γ ) ⎤⎦
= = , x = x (0) ( γ ).
dx cos η(0) ( x ) x ′(0) ( γ )
In the first approximation we will assume that ds( x ) dx = ds(0) ( x ) dx or cos η( x ) = cos η(0) ( x ). By
up , ϕl = ϕl , Γ = Γ
formulas (1)–(4) we will calculate ϕ( x ) = ϕ(1) ( x ), ϕup = ϕ(1) (1) (1)
. From the system of
equations (6)–(8) we will find γ1 = γ1(1) , U 0 = U 0(1) , C = C (1) . On solving Eq. (5), we will find the relation
x ( γ ) = x (1) ( γ ) . The derivative of this function will be calculated by the formula obtained by differentiating
equality (5) with regard for (7):
2U 0 sin γ − sin γ1(1)
′
x (γ ) =
(1)
cos η(0) ( x ), x = x (1) ( γ ).
v( x )
Assuming that x ′(θ) = x ′(1) (θ), γ1 = γ1(1) , A = A(1) , B = B(1) , K = K (1) in formulas (10), (11), we will write
the expressions for y( γ ) = y (1) ( γ ), y′( γ ) = y′(1) ( γ ). It will be required that the chord of the airfoil L(1)
z be

on the Ox axis, then

2 A(1) sin γ1(1) + 2 B(1) cos γ1(1) + K = 0; (12)
π−γ1(1) 2π
1 θ−γ
2π ∫ d γ ∫ x ′(1) (θ) ctg
2
d θ + 2 A(1) sin(π − γ1(1) ) + 2 B(1) cos(π − γ1(1) ) + K (1) = 0. (13)
γ1(1) 0

We will agree that the value of the constant A(1) will be specified in advance. We will note that the
choice of the constant A(1) influences the airfoil shape. When choosing this constant value, it should be
taken into account that the airfoil sought must be univalent, that is, it should have no points of
selfintersection and must be bypassed counterclockwise with the growth of γ . Then B(1) , K (1) . will be
determined from the system of equations (12)–(13). By substituting A(1) , B(1) into formula (10), we will
find y′(1) ( γ ) and then obtain
γ
y (1) ( γ ) = ∫ y′(1) ( γ )d γ.
−π−γ1(1)

The expression x (1) ( γ ) + iy (1) ( γ ), −π − γ1(1) ≤ γ ≤ π − γ1(1) determines the complex coordinate of an airfoil point
in the first approximation L(1)
z . Subject to conditions (12), (13) this airfoil chord is directed along the Ox axis.

2 2
ds( x ) ds(1) ( x ) 1 ⎡⎣ x ′(1) ( γ ) ⎤⎦ + ⎡⎣ y′(1) ( γ ) ⎤⎦
Assuming further that = = = , x = x (1) ( γ ), and
dx dx cos η(1) ( x ) x ′(1) ( γ )
proceeding similarly to the previous procedure, we will find the airfoil in the second approximation L(2)
z , and so on.

RUSSIAN AERONAUTICS Vol. 52 No. 4 2009

 A METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING AN AIRFOIL 411

Let z ( k ) (ζ ) be the function mapping the domain ζ > 1 onto the exterior of the airfoil L(zk ) , in this case
dz ( k )
= A( k ) + iB( k )
dζ ζ=∞

and the boundary values of this function are z ( k ) (eiγ ) = x ( k ) ( γ ) + iy( k ) ( γ ). Then for the velocity at the
infinitely distant point v∞( k ) exp(i β(∞k ) ) we will obtain

dz ( k ) U 0( k )
v∞( k ) = U 0( k ) = ;
dζ
(A ) + (B )
2 2
(k ) (k )

(k )
dz ( k ) B
β(∞k ) = π + arg = π + arctg ( k ) ,
dζ ζ = ∞ A

the velocity magnitude on the airfoil L(zk ) is equal to

2U 0( k ) sin γ − sin γ1( k )
v [ x ( γ )] =
(k ) (k )
.
2 2
⎡⎣ x ′( k ) ( γ ) ⎤⎦ + ⎡⎣ y′( k ) ( γ ) ⎤⎦

If at some k = k ∗ in the limits of the accuracy adopted we have v( k ) ( x ) ≅ v( x ), then it is natural that at
this value of k ∗ the process of successive approximations can be stopped and the airfoil L(zk ) can be
accepted as the sought one.

Fig. 2.

The chord diagram is shown in Fig. 2 by the solid thin line and the corresponding airfoil obtained using
numerical calculations is presented by the solid heavy line. The parabola parameters at the point of flow
branching and descent are identical and equal to 128.00, v∞ = 1.22054, β∞ = 3.16304,
max v( x ) − v ( k ) ( x ) = 0.0000648. In the same figure the dashed lines show the results of the second
numerical calculation in which the velocity on the lower airfoil surface was not changed and that on the upper
surface increased to 2.0. We obtained v∞ = 1.39450, β∞ = 3.16226, max v( x ) − v ( k ) ( x ) = 0.0003498. The

RUSSIAN AERONAUTICS Vol. 52 No. 4 2009

412 SALIMOV, LABUTKIN

parabola parameter is equal to 200.00. It should be noted that there is no need to impose additional
limitations on the chord diagram to achieve the closed sought airfoil, in particular, to use the method of
constructing quasisolutions [4] since the airfoil outline is always a closed one.

REFERENCES
1. Tumashev, G.G. and Nuzhin, M.T. Obratnye kraevye zadachi i ikh prilozheniya (Inverse Boundary-Value
Problems and Their Applications), Kazan: Izd.Kazan. Univ., 1965.
2. Salimov, R.B., Determination of the Airfoil Shape by the Specified Chord Diagram Close to That of the Known
Airfoil, Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta, 1957, vol. 117, no. 9, pp. 55–59.
3. Salimov, R.B., Solution of Boundary-Value Problems of Aerohydromechanics, Trudy Kazanskogo
Aviatsionnogo Instituta, 1962, issue 71, pp. 42–49.
4. Elizarov, A.M., Il’inskii, N.B., and Potashev, A.V. Obratnye kraevye zadachi aerogidrodinamiki (Inverse
Boundary-Value Problems of Aerohydrodynamics), Moscow: Fizmatlit, 1994.

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