EXAMPLE THIN AIRFOIL THEORY (TAT)

Taken form “Fundamentals of Aerodynamics”; John D. Anderson

Consider an NACA 23012 aerofoil.

The mean camber line for this aerofoil is given by

z  x  3  x
2
 x  x
= 2,6595   − 0,6075   + 0,1147   for 0 ≤ ≤ 0,2025
c  c  c  c  c
z  x x
= 0,02208  1 −  for 0,2025 ≤ ≤ 1,0
c  c c

Calculate:
a. The angle of attack at zero lift
b. The lift coefficient when α = 4°
c. The moment coefficient about the quarter chord, and
d. The location of the centre of pressure in terms of xcp/c, when α = 4°

Compare the results with experimental data.

Solution

We will need dz/dx. From the given shape of the mean camber line, this is
dz   x 2  x  x
= 2,6595 3  − 1,215   + 0,1147  for 0 ≤ ≤ 0,2025
dx   c  c  c

and

dz x
= −0,02208 for 0,2025 ≤ ≤ 1,0
dx c

Transforming from x to θ, where x = (c/2)(1 − cos θ), it is obtained:

dz 3
( ) 
= 2,6595  1 − 2 cos θ + cos 2 θ − 0,6075(1 − cos θ ) + 0,1147  for 0 ≤ θ ≤ 0,9335 [rad ]
dx 4 
dz
= 0,684 − 2,3736 cos θ + 1,995 cos 2 θ for 0 ≤ θ ≤ 0,9335 [rad ]
dx

and

dz
= −0,02208 for 0,9335 ≤ θ ≤ π
dx

Solution for point a.

From:

π
= − ∫ (cos θ − 1)dθ
1 dz
α L =0
π 0 dx

Substituting the equation for dz/dx into the last equation:

∫ (− 0,684 + 3,0576 cosθ − 4,368 cos θ + 1,995 cos 3 θ )dθ

0 , 9335
1
α L =0 = − 2

π 0
π

∫ (0,02208 − 0,02208 cosθ )dθ

1
−
π 0 , 9335

From a table of integrals, the solution for the last equation can be found by:

∫ cosθ dθ = sin θ
1 θ
∫ cos θ dθ = sin θ cos θ +
2

2 2

∫ cos θ dθ = 3 sin θ (cos θ + 2 )

3 1 2

Solving the integrals for αL=0

α L =0 = −
1
π
[− 2,8683θ + 3,0576 sin θ − 2,1843 sin θ cosθ + 0,665 sin θ (cos 2
θ + 2 )]0
0 , 9335

−
1
[0,02208θ − 0,02208 sin θ ]π0 ,9335
π
α L =0 = −
1
(− 0,0065 + 0,0665 ) = −0,0191 [rad ]
π

α L =0 = −0,0191 [rad ] = −1,09°

Solution for point b.

α = 4° = 0.0698 [rad]
From the following equation: cl = 2*π*(α – αL=0) = 2*π (0,0698 + 0,0191) = 0,559

Solution for point c.

The value of cm,c/4 is obtained from this equation:

π
c m ,c / 4 = ( A2 − A1 )
4

For this, we need to find the values of the two Fourier coefficients A1 and A2:

For A1:

π π

∫ (0,684 cos θ − 2,3736 cos θ + 1,995 cos 3 θ ) dθ +

0 , 9335

∫ (− 0,02208 cos θ ) dθ
2 dz 2 2
A1 = ∫ cos θ dθ = 2

π 0 dx π 0
π 0 , 9335

A1 =
2
π
[0,684 sin θ − 1,1868 sin θ cos θ − 1,1868θ + 0,665 sin θ (cos 2
θ + 2 )]0
0 , 9335
+
2
π
[− 0,02208 sin θ ]π0 ,9335
A1 =
2
(0,1322 + 0,0177 ) = 0,0954
π

For A2:

π π

∫ dx (2 cos θ − 1) dθ
2 dz 2 dz
A2 = ∫ cos 2θ dθ = 2

π 0 dx π 0

∫ (− 0,684 + 2,3736 cos θ − 0,627 cos θ − 4,747 cos 3 θ + 3,99 cos 4 θ ) dθ

0 , 9335
2
A2 = 2

π 0
π

∫ (0,02208 − 0,0446 cos θ )dθ

2
+ 2

π 0 , 9335

cos 3 θ sin θ + (sin θ cos θ + θ )

1 3
Integral solution: ∫ cos 4 θ dθ =
4 8
 2
A2 =
1 1
− 0,684θ − 0,0446  (sin θ cos θ + θ ) − 4,747   sin θ cos θ + 2
π
2
( )
 
2  
3
0 , 9335 π
1  2 1 
+ 3,99  cos 3 θ sin θ + (sin θ cos θ + θ )  0,02208θ − 0,0446  (sin θ cos θ + θ )
3
+
 4 8 0 π  
2  0 , 9335
A2 =
2
(0,11384 + 0,01056 ) = 0,0792
π

With the values of this two Fourier sine series coefficients the value of cm,c/4 can be obtain:

π
c m ,c / 4 = ( A2 − A1 ) = π (0,0792 − 0,0954 ) = −0,0127
4 4

This figure shows an example of the moment at the c/4 exerted in an aerofoil

Solution for point d.

Using the equation:

c π 
x cp = 1 + ( A1 − A2 )
4  cl 

The value of xcp/c, can be calculated as:

1 π
(0,0954 − 0,0792 ) = 0,273
x cp
= 1+
c 4  0,559 

This figure shows as an example, the location of the a.c. and the c.p. in an aerofoil
Theoretical values NACA 23012 Aerofoil:

Comparison between calculated results with the experimental data:

Parameter Calculated TAT Experiment Error %

αL=0 -1,09° -1,1° 0,92
cl (at α = 4°) 0,559 0,55 1,64
cm,c/4 -0,0127 -0,01 27,0

Analysis: The results from TAT for a cambered aerofoil agree very well with the experimental data,
this illustrates that the development of TAT in the early 1900s was a crowning achievement in
theoretical aerodynamics and validates the mathematical approach of replacing the chord line of the
aerofoil with a vortex sheet, with the flow tangency condition evaluated along the mean camber line.

Proposed Exercise:

Consider an NACA 2412 aerofoil.

The mean camber line for this aerofoil is given by

z   x   x 2  x
= 0,125 0,8   −    for 0 ≤ ≤ 0,4
c   c   c   c

z   x   x  
2
x

= 0,0555 0,2 + 0,8  −   for 0,4 ≤ ≤ 1,0
c   c   c   c


Calculate:
a. The angle of attack at zero lift
b. The lift coefficient when α = 2
c. Construct the graph of cl vs. α for a range of AoA from -9° to +9°
d. The moment coefficient about the quarter chord, and
e. The location of the centre of pressure in terms of xcp/c, when α = 2°, 4° and 6°

Compare and validate the results of TAT with experimental data (NACA report).