Quasi-steady Aerodynamics Introduction

9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion Aeroplane Rotation or Movement

Unsteady Aerodynamics (1/2)

Quasi-steady Aerodynamics. Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion. Aerodynamic Lift and Moment for an Aerofoil Oscillating

Harmonically in Heave and Pitch.

José M. Laginha M. Palma

Aeroelasticity (MEM / 1st year, 1st semester)

Session 5 / 27 of September 2022 / Week 3

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Quasi-steady Aerodynamics Introduction

9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion Aeroplane Rotation or Movement

Contents

Unsteady Aerodynamics Related to Motion.

Instantaneous change in angle of incidence – Wagner function

Chapter 1 – Vibration of Single Degree of Freedom. Subsection 1.5.4

Chapter 9 – Introduction to Unsteady Aerodynamics. Sections 9.1–9.3

Introduction to Aircraft Aeroelasticity and Loads, (2nd Edition), 2015.

Jan R. Wright and Jonathan Edward Cooper. John Wiley & Sons.

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 Quasi-steady Aerodynamics Introduction
9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion Aeroplane Rotation or Movement

Introduction

CONTENTS
UNSTEADY, WHY?
In airflow steady conditions and
aeroplane at constant velocity, the
resulting forces and moments are also
steady; i.e., are not a function of time.
However, in all other cases (e.g.,
landing or taking-of, manoeuvring, gust
response or flutter), one must know the
behaviour of lift and drag forces under
dynamic motion and their effect on the
surfaces motion and resulting forces
and moments.
Lift and drag must be known, not only
as a function of the angle of incidence
but also as a function of time; i.e.
unsteady conditions.
The two-dimensional inviscid,
incompressible flow over a thin, rigid section
aerofoil undergoing small amplitude heave
and pitch motions.
Effect of a sudden step change in incidence
on the lift acting on an aerofoil.
Lift and moment resulting from a
harmonically oscillating aerofoil in a steady
flow.
Oscillatory aerodynamic derivatives to
express the aerodynamic forces and
moments via aerodynamic damping and
stiffness terms.
Unsteady aerodynamic effects for the
aerofoil encountering a sharp-edged or
harmonic gust.

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Quasi-steady Aerodynamics Introduction

9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion Aeroplane Rotation or Movement

Aeroplane Rotation or Movement

Rotations about the centre of gravity

roll: rotation around the longitudinal axis (by

imbalance in the lift of the wings, controlled by the
aileron on the wings). Roll motion: up and down
movement of the wing tips
pitch: rotation around the transverse or lateral axis
(by imbalance of pressure on the nose and tail,
controlled by the elevators located on the tail of the
plane), pitch motion: up and down movement of the
plane nose
yaw: rotation around the vertical axis (by imbalance of
pressure on the wings leading edge, controlled by the
rudder on the tail of the plane), yaw motion: side to Flight Control Surfaces
side movement of the plane nose Axes of movement (video)
Aircraft rotations
Pitch motion (video)

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 Quasi-steady Aerodynamics Introduction
9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion Aeroplane Rotation or Movement

Downwash

Downwash
In aeronautics, downwash is the change in direction of air
deflected by the aerodynamic action of an airfoil, wing or
helicopter rotor blade in motion, as part of the process of
producing lift.[1]
Lift on an airfoil is an example of the application of Newton’s
third law of motion—the force required to create the downwash Flight dynamics
is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the lift force
on the airfoil.
Lift on an airfoil is also an example of the Kutta-Joukowski
theorem. The Kutta condition explains the existence of
downwash at the trailing edge of the wing.
In Wikipedia

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Quasi-steady Aerodynamics
9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion

Quasi-steady Aerodynamics

If the aerofoil is moving with respect to the upstream flow, the forces and moments
vary with time.
One simple approach for calculation of forces and moments under these
conditions is to assume that at any instant of time the aerofoil behaves with the
characteristics of the same aerofoil with instantaneous values of displacement and
velocity.
For instance, any change of the angle of attack from (α1 to α2 ) will cause a
sudden (instantaneous) change of the lift from L1 to L2 .
This is known as the quasi-steady assumption and implies that there are no
frequency-dependent effects.
Note that the concept of quasi-steady assumptions may differ from other areas of
knowledge, where the quasisteadiness is often associated to slowly time varying
conditions, providing the conditions for ignoring the time dependent terms. See,
for instance, example 3.16 of Munsons’s Fluid Mechanics (??9 edicao??).

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 Quasi-steady Aerodynamics
9.2.1 Instantaneous Change in Angle of Incidence – Wagner Function
9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion

9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion

The quasi-steady assumption is not sufficiently

accurate for flutter and gust response calculations Two key tools to analyse these effects
The Wagner function in the case
A more advanced unsteady aerodynamic analysis
of general motion in the time
must be used in order to predict accurately the
domain
dependency of aerodynamic forces and moments on
the frequency content of dynamic motions.
The Theodorsen function in
To understand the effect of aerofoil heave or pitch predicting the onset of flutter in
motions on the aerodynamic loads and moments the frequency domain and in the
generated, the effects of instantaneous changes in analysis of the response to
the angle of incidence and harmonic motion of the continuous turbulence.
aerofoil must be known.

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Quasi-steady Aerodynamics
9.2.1 Instantaneous Change in Angle of Incidence – Wagner Function
9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion

Instantaneous Change in Angle of Incidence – Wagner Function 1/2

The lift of 2D aerofoil (chord c, at an angle

of α and speed V ) subjected to an
instantaneous change (∆α) of the angle of
attack would increase instantaneously to
the new L (quasi-steady) value.
In practice, the unsteady lift changes to 50%
of the difference between the initial and final
steady values, and then increases
asymptotically towards the final steady
value.

About 90% of the change in lift is achieved after 15 semi-chords have been travelled by the
aerofoil; there is a large delay between the change in incidence and the quasi-steady value.
This delay is due to the time taken for both the circulation around the aerofoil and the wake to
change to a new steady flow condition.

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 Quasi-steady Aerodynamics
9.2.1 Instantaneous Change in Angle of Incidence – Wagner Function
9.2 Unsteady Aerodynamics related to Motion

Instantaneous Change in Angle of Incidence – Wagner Function 2/2

The change in lift per unit span after a ∆α

The results are expressed in terms of a change of angle of attack
dimensionless time
1 1
∆L = ρV 2 ca1 ∆αϕ(τ) = ρVca1 wϕ(τ)
τ = 2Vt/c = Vt/b , (1) 2 2
(3)
for the flow at speed V to cross a semi-chord b.
Because are independent of chord size or air
speed, the results are valid for any c or V .
The Wagner function (ϕ(τ)),
τ+2
ϕ(τ) = 0, if τ ⩽ 0; and ϕ(τ) = , if τ > 0
τ+4
(2)
is used to model how the lift acting at 1/4 chord
(aerodynamic centre) evolves after α or V
change, by obtaining the effective downwash (w, where
the velocity component normal to the airflow) at w = V sin ∆α ≈ V ∆α (4)
the 3/4 chord point.
is the change in downwash on the aerofoil

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