Surface vorticity modeling of flow around airfoils (Q1271603)

The author considers a two-dimensional low speed flow past an airfoil. As in problems concerning an airfoil or airfoil with spoiler in inviscid flow, an auxiliary condition must be invoked to ensure that a unique solution could be obtained. Here two new methods of satisfying the Joukowski-Kutta condition are incorporated in the surface vorticity modeling method. In the first method, based on results from flow visualization, an additional control point at a short distance downstream of the trailing edge is introduced. In order to account for the fact that the velocity above the trailing edge is different from that below it as in the real flow, in the second method a finite segment of vortex sheet downstream of the trailing edge is added. Results from both methods are compared with those from other methods and experiments. The two methods require less computational effort and give more realistic results.