Variation of the lift coefficient of an arbitrary oscillating airfoil


Zlatko Petrović, Slobodan Stupar, Milivoje Simonović




Complex potential of the flow around airfoil is split into part which corresponds to steady constant circulation flow and part for unsteady flow. Steady potential flow is further divided into three component each proportional to lagging, flapping and pitching motion. Unsteady potential is used to simulate free vortex generation and free vortex convection. Computation is performed by the conformal mapping of the exterior of airfoil contour to the interior of the circle, while trailing edge of the airfoil is mapped to the intersection of the map-ping circle and real axis in the transformed plane. Unsteady flow around circle with presence of the singularities is solved in the circle plane and mapped back in the airfoil plane. Thomson’s reflection principle is used to preserve circular shape in the transformed plane. Newly generated free vortices are set in the vicinity of the airfoil trailing edge, while their intensity had to satisfy Kelvin theorem and unsteady form of Kutta-Jukovsky condition. Unsteady forces are determined by the integration of unsteady form of Bernoulli equation. Obtained results are compared with available wind tunnel tests.