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AMT 112 Basic Science of Aerodynamics

The document discusses the basic science of aerodynamics including the four forces acting on an aircraft, Bernoulli's principle, how airfoils produce lift, and factors that can affect stall speed such as weight, ice formation, and turbulence.

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john christian de leon
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246 views

AMT 112 Basic Science of Aerodynamics

The document discusses the basic science of aerodynamics including the four forces acting on an aircraft, Bernoulli's principle, how airfoils produce lift, and factors that can affect stall speed such as weight, ice formation, and turbulence.

Uploaded by

john christian de leon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic Science of Aerodynamics

In order to understand why an airplane flies, the physical properties


and characteristics of air must be understood. There are certain physical laws
which describe the behavior of air flowing over the surface of an airplane. The
forces acting on an airplane in flight are due, in large part, to the properties of
the air mass in which the airplane is operating.
Since air is composed of matter, it has weight and, therefore exerts pressure on
surfaces with which it is in contact. At sea level, air has a pressure of about 14.7
PSI. But as altitude increases, both density of air and the air pressure decreases.
As stated in the 3rd law of motion established by Sir Isaac Newton in 1686

“For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction”

Under these conditions, the aircraft is acted upon by four forces: lift,
gravity, thrust, and drag. Lift is the upward acting force; gravity, or weight, is the
downward acting force; thrust acts in a forward direction; and drag is the
backward, or retarding force of air resistance.
Forces acting on an Aircraft in Straight Level Flight

Lift opposes gravity and thrust opposes drag. Under the conditions of an aircraft in
straight-and-level flight, the opposing forces balances each other; lift equals
gravity and thrust equals drag. Any inequality between thrust or drag, while
maintaining straight-and-level flight will result in acceleration or deceleration until
the two forces become balanced.
Bernoulli’s Principle
One of the most significant physical laws that led to the creation of the
airfoil is the bernoulli principle. It was discovered by Daniel Bernoulli, a swiss
scientist, that states: “as the velocity of the fluid increases, the pressure in the fluid
decreases” and vice versa.
An example of bernoulli’s law is the venturi tube. This device is a tube which is
narrower in the middle than at the ends. As air passes through the tube, it speeds
up as it reaches the narrow portion and slows down again when it passes the
restriction.
Airfoil
An airfoil is any shape which is designed to produce lift. Although the
wing is the primary part of the airplane that produces lift, other airfoils find
application such as propeller blades and tail surfaces.

Lift

Relative Wind

A foil is a solid object with a shape such that when placed in a


moving fluid at a suitable angle of attack the lift is substantially larger than
the drag.
Leading edge – the part of the airfoil that first meets the incoming air. The shape
of the leading edge depends on the function of the airfoil. An airfoil that is
designed to operate at high speed with minimum amount of drag its leading edge
may be very sharp. While an airfoil that is designed to produce a greater amount
of lift at low speed, the leading edge may be thick and rounded.
Trailing edge – the aft end of the airfoil where the airflow over the upper surface
joins the airfoil over the lower surface. The design of this part of the air foil should
be as sharp as practical to permit the upper and lower sheets of air to meet with
as little turbulence as possible in order to reduce drag.
Chord Line – an imaginary staright line drawn from the leading edge to the trailing
edge. This line has significance only in determining the angle of attack of an airfoil
and in determining wing area.

Camber – the extent of curvature of its upper (upper camber) and lower (lower
camber) surfaces. A high speed, low lift airfoil has very little camber.
Relative wind – is the air
moving past an airfoil.
The direction of this
wind is relative to the
altitude or position of
the airfoil and it is
always parallel to the
flight path of the
aircraft.

Angle of attack (AOA) –


the angle formed by the
chord of the airfoil and
the direction of the
relative wind.
Stall and its causes
Increasing the angle of attack will increases lift up to a point. As the airfoil
is inclined, the air flowing over the top of the airfoil is diverted over a greater
distance resulting in an even greater increase in air molecule velocity and more
lift.
However, as the airfoil is given a greater angle of inclination against the oncoming
air, it becomes more difficult for the air molecules to adhere to the top of the
wing. Thus, they start to separate from the wing and enter a burbling or turbulent
pattern. This turbulence results in a loss of lift in the area of the wing where it is
taking place.
Factors Affecting Stall Speed
Weight – As the gross weight of the airplane is increased, the stall speed
increases. Due to the greater weight, a higher angle of attack must be maintained
to produce the extra lift required to support the additional weight
Ice formation – The
accumulation of ice disrupts
the smooth flow of air over
the wing, thus decreasing
the lift it produces and
increasing the stall speed.

Turbulence – air turbulence


can cause large, momentary
increase in stall speed. An
upward vertical gust causes
an abrupt change in the
direction of the relative
wind and the angle of
attack.

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