Incompressible Aerodynamics

Review of Basic Fluid Mechanics

Continuity, momentum and energy equation, Control volume approach to Continuity, momentum and energy
equation, Types of flow, pathlines, streamlines, and streaklines, units and dimensions, inviscid and viscous flows,
compressibility, Mach number regimes. Vorticity, Angular velocity, Stream function, velocity potential function,
Circulation, Numericals, Mach cone and Mach angle, Speed of sound.
Airfoil Characteristics
Fundamental aerodynamic variables, Airfoil nomenclature, airfoil characteristics. wing planform geometry,
aerodynamic forces and moments, centre of pressure, pressure coefficient, aerodynamic center, calculation of
airfoil lift and drag from measured surface pressure distributions, typical airfoil aerodynamic characteristics at
low speeds. Types of drag-Definitions.
Two Dimensional Flows & Incompressible Flow Over Airfoil
Uniform flow, Source flow, Sink flow, Combination of a uniform flow with source and sink. Doublet flow. Non-
lifting flow over a circular cylinder. Vortex flow. Lifting flow over a circular cylinder. Kutta-Joukowski theorem
and generation of Lift, D’Alembert’s paradox, Numericals,
Incompressible flow over airfoils: Kelvin’s circulation theorem and the starting vortex, vortex sheet, Kutta
condition, Classical thin airfoil theory for symmetric and cambered airfoils. KuttaJoukowski theorem. and
generation of Lift, Numerical
Incompressible Flow Over Finite Wings
Biot-Savart law and Helmholtz’s theorems, Vortex filament: Infinite and semi-infinite vortex filament, Induced
velocity. Prandtl’s classical lifting line theory: Downwash and induced drag. Elliptical and modified elliptical lift
distribution. Lift distribution on wings. Limitations of Prandtl’s lifting line theory. Extended lifting line theory-
lifting surface theory, vortex lattice method for wings. Lift, drag and moment characteristics of complete airplane
Applications of Finite Wing Theory & High Lift Systems
Simplified horse-shoe vortex model, influence of downwash on tail plane, ground effects. Swept wings:
Introduction to sweep effects, swept wings, pressure coefficient, and typical aerodynamic characteristics.
Introduction to high-lift systems, flaps, leading-edge slats and typical high – lift characteristics. Effects of
thickness, camber and aspect ratio of wings, tip effects. Introduction to Source panel & vortex lattice method

1. Write continuity and momentum equation for 1 D flow

2. Illustrate fluid as continuum
3. Describe compressibility.
4. Differentiate inviscid and viscous flow.
5. Differentiate steady and unsteady flow, with equations
6. Illustrate incompressible and compressible flow based on Mach number.
7. Describe free molecular flow and low-density flow.
8. With neat sketch illustrate Viscous-dominated flow.
9. Define Angular velocity and Vorticity
10. Describe Speed of sound for isothermal and adiabatic flow.
11. Describe wing planform geometry with suitable diagram.
12. Illustrate centre of pressure.
13. Illustrate pressure coefficient.
14. Illustrate aerodynamic centre.
15. Describe lift and drag for an airfoil at zero AOA
16. List out different types of drag.
17. Describe NACA series of airfoil.
18. Describe aerodynamic forces
19. Describe aerodynamic moments.
20. Describe Cl vs Alpha curve for symmetric airfoil.
21. Describe Uniform flow with neat sketch.
22. Illustrate combination of a uniform flow with source and sink.
23. Illustrate doublet flow.
24. Illustrate Source flow and Sink flow.
25. Sketch Non-lifting flow over a circular cylinder.
26. Sketch lifting flow over a circular cylinder.
27. State Kutta Joukowski theorem.
28. Describe Vortex flow.
29. Illustrate Lift distribution on wings
30. State Biot-Savart law
31. State Helmholtz’s theorems,
32. Describe down wash
33. Describe induced drag
34. Give a schematic representation of wing tip vortices.
35. Sketch the lift distribution along the span of a wing.
36. Describe horseshoe vortex
37. State “Bernoulis principal”
38. List types of drag
39. Differentiate between Rotational and irrotational flow
40. Explain Stream Line
41. Define pressure drag
42. Explain the terms stream line and path line
43. State Kelvin’s circulation theorem
44. Explain D’Alembert’s Paradox
45. Explain the " Magnus Effect”
46. Write the Mach Number & Its Regime
47. Define Circulation
48. Compare inviscid and viscous flows
49. Describe Continuity equation.
50. Illustrate Cl vs α curve for symmetric airfoil
51. Define Mach cone and Mach angle
52. Give the expression for Stream function.
53. Describe uniform flow for x and y axis.
54. State the importance of Kutta condition.
55. Define geometric angle of attack.
56. Define aerodynamic center.
57. Why stall occurs?
58. Differentiate steady and unsteady flow.
59. Illustrate control volume approach to flowing fluid
60. For an airplane flying with 500km/hr at atmosphere temperature 293oK calculate Mach number.
61. Describe the second elementary flow with a neat sketch.
62. Compare airfoil and wing.
63. Define down wash.
64. Define induced drag.
65. Illustrate Cl vs α curve for cambered airfoil
66. Illustrate steady level flight condition.
67. For a civil jets under subsonic suggest an optimum range of Aspect Ratio and justify.
68. Illustrate geometric AOA and induced AOA with neat sketch
69. Explain the limitation of Prandtl’s lifting line theory
70. Explain Extended lifting line theory-lifting surface theory
71. State Kelvin’s circulation theorem
72. Explain D’Alembert’s Paradox
73. Explain the " Magnus Effect”
74. State the application of aerodynamics.
75. What is aerodynamics.
Module - 1
76. Derive Continuity equation using control volume technique in both integral and PDE form; Express the
same for a Steady flow.
77. Derive Momentum equation using control volume technique in both integral and PDE form.
78. Derive the Energy equation in differential form by applying the physical principle to a suitable flow
model
79. For steady and unsteady flow, with neat sketch illustrate the following.
1. Streamline,
2. Streak line.
3. Path line.
4. Flow net.
5. Stream tube.
80. Explain the following
1. One-, two- and three-dimensional flow.
2. Steady and unsteady flow.
3. Viscous and inviscid flow.
4. Laminar and turbulent flow.
5. Subsonic, supersonic, and Hypersonic.
81. Describe the propagation of pressure waves for M<1, M=1 and M>1 with schematic diagram and explain
the following.
1. Mach number
2. Mach Cone
3. Mach angle.
4. Zone of silence
5. Zone of action
82. A stream function is given by Ψ = 5x-6y, evaluate for velocity components, magnitude, and direction of
the resultant velocity at any point.
83. Derive vorticity and angular velocity in terms of velocity components.
84. For the velocity field, u=y/(x2+y2) and v=-x/(x2+y2) evaluate for circulation around a circular path of
radius 5m. Assume that u and v are in units of m/s.
85. The velocity components in a two-dimensional flow field for an incompressible fluid are given below,
obtain stream function.

86. Consider the flow over an airfoil and show that resultant force (R) is a function of Reynolds number
(Re) and Mach number (M).
87. Derive energy equation using control volume technique in both integral and PDE form.
88. If for a two dimensional potential flow, the velocity potential is given by ϕ = x(2y-1), determine the
velocity at the point P(4,5), evaluate for stream function at the point P.
89. Sketch the stream lines represented by Ψ = x2-y2 and evaluate for velocity and its direction at point (1,2)
90. The velocity components in a two-dimensional flow field for an incompressible fluid are as follows. u =
y3/3 +2x-x2y and v = xy2-2y-x3/3, evaluate for stream function Ψ.
91. With a schematic diagram illustrate Mach number regimes.
Module - 2
92. Derive the Expression for the Pressure Coefficient for Incompressible flows.
93. Explain the Fundamentals of aerodynamic variables.
94. Describe the Airfoil nomenclature with neat sketch
95. Describe airfoil characteristics and wing planform geometry,
96. Describe aerodynamic forces and moments,
97. With an neat sketch explain
a. Centre of pressure,
b. Pressure coefficient,
c. Aerodynamic center,
98. Describe how airfoil lift and drag are calculated from measured surface pressure distributions.
99. Describe typical airfoil aerodynamic characteristics at low speeds.
100. Describe different types of drag-Definitions.
101. Derive the expressions for Co-efficient of axial force and Co-efficient of normal force at any point on
aerofoil in-terms of shear stress, normal pressure and slope at that point.
102. Consider a NACA four series aerofoil at an AOA of 130. Its normal force and axial force co-efficient are
1.3 and 0.4 respectively, Estimate the co-efficient of lift and drag.
103. Consider a wing with an AR of 6 and a NACA 25012. Take Re= 6X106. The wing efficiency factor is 0.85.
If the wing is at an AOA of 60, calculate CL and CD. The 2-D characteristics of airfoil is CL = 1.4 at αeff =
130 and CL = 0.5 at αeff = 00. αL=0 = -1.60 and CD = 0.008.
104. Differentiate between
1. Compressible and Incompressible flow
2. In viscid and viscous flows
3. Continuum and free molecular flow
4. Steady and Unsteady
5. Laminar and Turbulent
105. Illustrate symmetric and cambered Airfoil and describe symmetric airfoil nomenclature.
106. Describe different types of drags with neat sketch.
107. For an NACA 2412 airfoil having a chord of 0.64 m in an airstream at standard sea level conditions. The
freestream velocity is 70 m/s. The lift per unit span is 1254 N/m.
i. Calculate the angle of attack and the drag per unit span.
ii. calculate the moment per unit span about the aerodynamic centre.
iii. For the NACA 2412 airfoil, calculate and compare the lift-to-drag ratios at angles of attack of 0, 4, 8,
and 12 degrees. The Reynolds number is 3.1 × 106.

Consider the following data related to NACA 2412

For Re = 3.1 × 106 take cd = 0.0068
For cl = 0.65 take AOA = 4
Cm,ac = -0.05, density = 1.23 kg/m3, viscosity = 1.789 × 105 kg/ms

108. Explain the Airfoil Nomenclature and NACA identification for different airfoil shapes.
109. Explain the significance of pressure distribution over an airfoil.
110. Consider an airfoil in a flow with a free stream velocity of 150 ft/s. The velocity at a given point on the
airfoil is 225 ft/s. Calculate the pressure coefficient at this point.
111. What are the different wing planform geometry and explain the geometric parameters considered for
designing of wing
112. Explain in detail about aerofoil nomenclature with suitable sketch.
113. Using dimensional analysis to flow field, obtain the relation between the relation between
Resultant Force, Reynolds number and Mach number.
114. Briefly explain the phenomenon of flow separation on a cambered airfoil and also illustrate lift curve for
symmetric airfoil
115. Consider an airfoil in a flow with a freestream velocity of 45.72m/[Link] velocity at a given point on the
airfoil is 68.58 m/s. Calculate the pressure coefficient at this point.
Module - 3
116. Describe stagnation points for the lifting flow over a circular cylinder.
117. Explain source, sink, free and forced vortex with neat sketches.
118. Derive stream function for an incompressible uniform flow oriented in the positive x direction.
119. Consider the lifting flow over a circular cylinder with a diameter of 0.5m. The freestream velocity is 25
m/s, and the maximum velocity on the surface of the cylinder is 75 m/s. The freestream conditions are
those for a standard altitude of 3 km. Calculate the lift per unit span on the [Link] an altitude of 3
km, ρ = 0.90926 kg/m3. The maximum velocity occurs at the top of the cylinder, where θ = 90◦.
120. Derive stream function for a two-dimensional source flow
121. Derive the fundamental equation for thin airfoil theory and give the assumptions that are made in thin
airfoil theory.
122. State and Derive the Kutta Joukowski equation for a lifting flow over a circular cylinder
123. For flow over a semi-infinite body (half body) show that streamlin that goes through the stagnation point
is described by Ψ = Λ/2
124. Obtain the stream function and velocity potential function for an incompressible uniform flow oriented in the
positive x direction.
125. Describe the Superposition of a uniform flow and a source, a flow over a semi-infinite body with a neat sketch.
126. Derive stream function for a flow over a Rankine oval (full body).
127. Derive stream function for a flow over a doublet flow.
128. Obtain the stream function and velocity potential function for an incompressible uniform flow oriented in
the positive x direction.
129. Describe the Superposition of a uniform flow and a source, a flow over a semi-infinite body with a neat
sketch.
130. Determine the velocity of flow at radii of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 m, when the water is flowing radially outward
in a horizontal plane from a source at a strength of 12 m2/s.
131. Two discs are placed in a horizontal plane, one over the other. The fluid (water) enters at the centre of the
lower disc and flows radially outward from a source of strength 0.628 m2/s. the pressure, at a radius 50
mm is 200 kN/m2. Find
i. Pressure in kN/m2 at a radius of 500 mm
ii. Stream function at angles of 30o and 60o, if Ψ=0 at θ = 0o.
132. A uniform flow with a velocity of 20 m/s is flowing over a source of strength 10m2/s. The uniform flow
and source flow are in the same plane. Obtain the equation of the dividing streamline and sketch the flow
pattern.
133. A uniform flow with a velocity of 20 m/s is flowing over a source placed at the origin. The stagnation
point occurs at (-0.398). Determine (a) Strength of the source, (b) Maximum width of Rankine half body
and (c) other dimensions of the Rankine half body.
134. Illustrate the Superposition of a uniform flow and a source - sink pair, a flow over a Rankine oval with a
neat sketch.
135. A uniform flow of 12 m/s is flowing over a doublet of strength 18 m²/s. The doublet is in the line of the
uniform flow. Determine:
(i) shape of the Rankine oval
(ii) radius of the Rankine circle
(iii) value of stream line function at Rankine circle
(iv) resultant velocity at a point on the Rankine circle at an angle of 30° from x-axis
(v) value of maximum velocity on the Rankine circle and location of the point where velocity is
maximum
136. Derive stream function for a Non-lifting flow over a circular cylinder
137. Derive stream function for a lifting flow over a circular cylinder
138. Derive Kutta Joukowski equation, for a flow over a circular cylinder.
139. Consider the non lifting flow over a circular cylinder. Calculate the locations on the surface of the
cylinder where the surface pressure equals the freestream pressure
140. Consider the lifting flow over a circular cylinder. The lift coefficient is 5. Calculate the peak (negative)
pressure coefficient
141. Consider the lifting flow over a circular cylinder. The lift coefficient is 5, calculate the location of the
stagnation points and the points on the cylinder where the pressure equals freestream static pressure
142. Consider the lifting flow over a circular cylinder with a diameter of 0.5 m. The freestream velocity is 25
m/s, and the maximum velocity on the surface of the cylinder is 75 m/s. The freestream conditions are
those for a standard altitude of 3 km. Calculate the lift per unit span on the cylinder.
143. Describe and derive the stagnation points in lifting flow.
144. Describe and derive the stagnation points in non-lifting flow.
145. Describe and derive the stagnation points in Rankine half and oval body
Module – 4,5
146. Explain how infinite aerodynamic properties are different from finite wing properties
147. Derive the fundamental equation of Prandtl’s lifting line theory.
148. State Biot-Savart law and explain its usefulness in Aerodynamics.
149. Obtain the expressions of downwash, induced angle of attack and induced drag coefficient for an elliptic
lift distribution. Explain the symbols used clearly.
150. Discuss about the vortex Filament and Helmholtz’s Theorem.
151. Show that Velocity induced at point P by an infinite, straight vortex filament is given by the following
expression.

152. Describe Downwash and induced drag.

153. Explain the influence of wing tip vortices on the lift of the wing
154. With relevant equations explain vortex lattice method
155. With mathematical expression define Biot Savart’s law applied to semi infinite vortex filament deduce
the velocity field induced at a point around a vortex filament which is extending from -∞ to ∞ and fixed
point to ∞.
156. Derive the Prandtll`s Lifting Line Theory
157. Consider a finite wing with an aspect ratio of 8 and a taper ratio of 0.8. The airfoil section is thin and
symmetric. Calculate the lift and induced drag coefficients for the wing when it is at an angle of attack of
5◦ . Assume that 𝛿 = 0.055.
158. Analyze the impact of ground effects on the aerodynamic performance of an aircraft during take-off and
landing. How do these effects influence lift and drag
159. List out the aerodynamic benefits and drawbacks of using swept wings on modern aircraft. Consider
factors such as pressure coefficient, drag reduction, and stability
160. As an engineer explain how the simplified horse-shoe vortex model can be used to predict the downwash
on a tail plane. How does this downwash affect the overall stability and control of the aircraft?
161. Bring out the effects of wing thickness, camber, and aspect ratio on the aerodynamic characteristics of an
aircraft wing and paraphrase how these factors contribute to the overall performance and efficiency of
the aircraft?
162. Prove that Cdi=Cl2/∏eAR for elliptic lift distribution over finite wings also plot the variation of lift
distribution over elliptic wing planform .
163. Explain Prandtl’s classical lifting line theory and obtain the following expression for induced angle of
attack.

164. Describe Sweep effects and swept wings

165. Describe the different types of high lift devices with neat sketch.
166. Describe the effects of aspect ratio of wings
167. State and explain.
i. Biot-Savart law and Helmholtz’s theorem.
ii. Downwash and induced drag.
Limitations of Prandtl’s lifting line theory.
168. Describe Infinite and semi-infinite vortex filament and obtain the expression for velocity induced at a
given point.
169. Explain Prandtl’s classical lifting line theory and obtain the expression
170. Describe and obtain the expressions for Elliptical, Modified elliptical lift distribution and Lift
distribution on wings.
171. Explain the following.
i. Extended lifting line theory-lifting surface theory,
vortex lattice method for wings.
172. Enumerate Lift, drag and moment characteristics of complete airplane.
173. Explain the following.
i. Simplified horse-shoe vortex model
ii. Influence of downwash on tail plane and ground effects.
174. Describe
i. Sweep effects and swept wings,
ii. Pressure coefficient,
Typical aerodynamic characteristics.
175. With a neat sketch explain high-lift devices (flaps, leading-edge slats) and describe typical high – lift
characteristics.
176. Explain the Effects of thickness, camber and aspect ratio of wings, tip effects.
177. Describe the Source panel & vortex lattice method.
178. Consider a rectangular wing with an aspect ratio of 6, an induced drag factor 𝛿 = 0.055, and a zero-lift
angle of attack of −2 ◦ . At an angle of attack of 3.4◦, the induced drag coefficient for this wing is 0.01.
Calculate the induced drag coefficient for a similar wing (a rectangular wing with the same airfoil
section) at the same angle of attack, but with an aspect ratio of 10. Assume that the induced factors for
drag and the lift slope, 𝛿 and 𝜏, respectively, are equal to each other (i.e., 𝛿 = 𝜏). Also, for AR = 10, 𝛿 =
0.105.