A Computer Model For Airfoils With Moving Surface Boundary-Layer Control

Abstract

One method that is used to enhance airplane safety and performance is to use moving surfaces on wings to increase lift. A modification of the panel method is used to model airfoils which incorporate moving surface boundary-layer control. The modification is to apply a vortex sheet of constant strength over the moving portions of the airfoil. The model is demonstrated on an airfoil that has a rotating cylinder on the leading edge. The modified panel method was programmed in Mathematica (Wolfram Research Incorporated). The results generated by the Mathematica program are displayed graphically and show an increase in lift for a symmetric airfoil.