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Mechanics of Fluids

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546 Compressible flow <strong>of</strong> gases<br />

Fig. 11.29 Effect <strong>of</strong> Mach<br />

number on C L and C D for<br />

thin aer<strong>of</strong>oil at constant<br />

angle <strong>of</strong> attack. Points (a)<br />

(b) (d) (e) correspond<br />

approximately to similarly<br />

lettered parts <strong>of</strong> Fig. 11.28.<br />

spring from points close to the trailing edge, their obliquity increasing as M∞<br />

increases. An increase <strong>of</strong> M∞ also reduces the size <strong>of</strong> the subsonic region,<br />

and if the nose <strong>of</strong> the aer<strong>of</strong>oil is sufficiently pointed (see Section 11.5.2) the<br />

frontal wave may attach itself to the aer<strong>of</strong>oil at high Mach numbers and an<br />

entirely supersonic régime ensue (Fig. 11.28e).<br />

Between the front and rear oblique shock waves, the supersonic flow over<br />

the convex surfaces produces rarefaction waves through which the pressure<br />

is successively reduced. These diverge from each other (see Section 11.6);<br />

they thus meet the shock waves and so, with increasing distance from the<br />

aer<strong>of</strong>oil, the latter are gradually reduced in strength and made more oblique<br />

until they are entirely dissipated.<br />

The effects <strong>of</strong> these phenomena on the lift and drag coefficients <strong>of</strong> a thin<br />

aer<strong>of</strong>oil are illustrated in Fig. 11.29. (Reference to the effect <strong>of</strong> compressibility<br />

on drag is also made in Section 8.10.) For completely supersonic flow the<br />

variation <strong>of</strong> CL is given by an approximate theory by J. Ackeret as proportional<br />

to (M 2 ∞ − 1)−1/2 for moderate values <strong>of</strong> M∞. In the transonic range,<br />

however, the force on the aer<strong>of</strong>oil depends on the size and position <strong>of</strong> the<br />

various regions <strong>of</strong> subsonic and supersonic flow, and therefore markedly on<br />

the shape <strong>of</strong> the section and the angle <strong>of</strong> attack.<br />

The formation <strong>of</strong> shock waves above and below the aer<strong>of</strong>oil alters the<br />

position <strong>of</strong> its centre <strong>of</strong> pressure, and this, together with the phenomenon <strong>of</strong><br />

shock stall, presents considerable problems in the control <strong>of</strong> aircraft flying<br />

in the transonic range.<br />

11.12 ANALOGY BETWEEN COMPRESSIBLE FLOW AND<br />

FLOW WITH A FREE SURFACE<br />

In several respects the flow <strong>of</strong> gases is similar to the flow <strong>of</strong> liquids in<br />

open channels. This is because similar equations <strong>of</strong> energy, momentum and

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