Example: Prandtl Lifting Line calculation

A rectangular wing has an aspect ratio of 10 (AR = 10), and does not have any geometric or
aerodynamic twist (,
L=0
are constant on the span). The airfoil profile used on the wing is
symmetric,
L=0
= 0. The wing has a constant angle of attack along its length of 10
o
. Use a
Prandtl lifting line analysis with 5 stations to find: C
L
, C
Di
,
i
at mid span.

The stations are selected as to be evenly spaced along the wing. The axis along the span of the
wing is chose to be the y axis. The total span of the wing is b. Stations are located as fractions of
b as indicated in the figure above. Since the Prandtl Lifting Line approach uses a Fourier
transform with a transformation function,
y
o
= -
b
2
cos 0
o

where the value of
o
can range from 0 to , the location of each station must be written in the
same form. As an example, the location of station 2 at y = -b/6 in terms of
o
can be found using,
-
b
6
= -
b
2
cos 0
o

giving
0
o
= 1.2S
Values of
o
for the other stations are found in the same manner. The Fourier lift distribution
function used in a general wing analysis is,
(0) = 2bI

A
n
sin0
o
N
n=1

The Prandtl Lifting Line (PLL) equation is,
Y=b/2y=b/3y=b/6y=0y=b/6y=b/3y=b/2
=0=0.841=1.23=1.57=1.91=2.30=3.14
cd efg
TopView
o(0
o
) =
2b
nc(0
o
)
A
n
sinn0
o
+ o
L=0
+ nA
n
sinn0
o
sin0
o
5
n=1
5
n=1

At station 1, the PLL equation is,
o -o
L=0
=
2b
nc
|A
1
sin0
1
+ A
2
sin20
1
+ + A
5
sinS0
1
]
+ _A
1
+ 2A
2
sin20
1
sin0
1
+ SA
3
sinS0
1
sin0
1
+ + SA
5
sinS0
1
sin0
1
_
u.174S =
2
n
1u(A
1
(u.74S) + A
2
(u.994) + A
3
(u.S79) + A
4
(-u.22uS) + A
5
(-u.874))
+ (A
1
+ 2A
2
(1.SS) + SA
3
(u.781) + 4A
4
(-u.297S) + SA
5
(-1.17S))
Similar equations can be created at the other stations. This will lead to a system of 5 linear
equations in 5 unknowns (A
n
). The system can be written as,
l
l
l
l
l
S.74S 9 6.u2 -2.6 -11.4
7 S.SS -4.97 -1u.4 -1.SS
7.S6 u.u1SS -9.S6 -u.uSS 11.S6
7 -S.S2 -S.u1 1u.S6 -1.4S7
S.7S -9 6.u1 2.61 -11.44
1
1
1
1
1
l
l
l
l
l
A
1
A
2
A
3
A
4
A
5
1
1
1
1
1
=
l
l
l
l
l
u.174S
u.174S
u.174S
u.174S
u.174S
1
1
1
1
1

Solved, the solution is, A
1
= 0.0275, A
2
= 0.0, A
3
= 0.003508, A
4
= 0.0, A
5
= 0.000412.
The Lift coefficient of the wing is then, C
L
= A
1
AR = 0.0275()(10) = 0.8643
For an infinite wing without induced effects at the same angle of attack, C
L
= 2 = 1.096. The
lift coefficient of the finite wing should always be less than or equal to the C
L
of an infinite wing.
The two values will become equal as the aspect ratio of the finite wing goes to infinite.
Induced drag coefficient,
C

= nAR A
1
2
_1 + n _
A
n
A
1
]
2
5
n=2
_
C

= n(1u)(u.u27S)
2
_1 + S_
u.uuSSu8
u.u27S
]
2
+ S _
u.uuu412
u.u27S
]
2
_ = u.u249
Induced angle of attack at mid span (
o
= 1.57),
o

(0
o
= 1.S7) = nA
n
sinn0
o
sin0
o
= A
1
5
n=1
sin(1.S7)
sin(1.S7)
+ 2A
2
sin2(1.S7)
sin(1.S7)
+ = u.u19uS = 1.u9
o