Lifting Line Theory Lifting Line Theory

Applies to large aspect ratio unswept wings at small angle of attack.

Developed by Prandtl and Lanchester during the early 20
th
century.
Relevance
Analytic results for simple wings
Basis of much of modern wing theory (e.g. helicopter rotor aerodynamic
analysis, extends to vortex lattice method,)
B i f h f th lit ti d t di f i d d d d t Basis of much of the qualitative understanding of induced drag and aspect
ratio
Thin-airfoil theory
C
l
=2t(o-o )
Biot Savart Law:
Velocity produced by a
semi-infinite segment of
C
l
2t(o o
o
)
I
h
a vortex filament
1875-1953
1868-1946
I
h
V
t 4
I
=
Physics of an Unswept Wing y p g
l, I
Lift variesacrossspan
y
s -s
Lift varies across span
Circulation is shed (Helmholz thm)
p
u
<p
l
p
u
~ p
l
Vortical wake
Vortical wake induces
downwash on wing
Downwash
changing angle of attack
just enough to produce j g p
variation of lift across span
Simplest Possible Model p
Section A A
d
i
Induced drag
b
A
Wake model Section model
Section A-A
AA
LLT The Wake Model LLT The Wake Model
I
y
1
y
dy
1
s -s
y
LLT The Section Model LLT The Section Model
d
i
l
c
o
c
V

-w
The Monoplane Equation p q
Wake model
l, I
Section model
}

I
=
s
s
y
y y
dy
dy
d
y w
) ( 4
) (
1
1
1
t
y
s -s
0
t u
wc c V t o o t + = I

) (
0
u cos / = s y
}

I
+ = I
s
s
y
y y
dy
dy
d
c
c V
1
1
0
1
4
) ( o o t
Substitute for u, and express
I as a sine series in u

= I n A s U ) sin( 4 u

I
odd n
n
n A s U
, 1
) sin( 4 u
(

t t cn c
(

+ =

=
u
t
u u o o
t
sin
4
) sin( sin ) (
4
, 1
0
s
cn
n A
s
c
odd n
n
The Monoplane Eqn.
Results

) i ( u
}
I
=
s
y
y y
dy
dy
d
y w
) ( 4
) (
1
1
t
}
I =
s
L
dy
S V
C
2
}
I =
s
D
dy w
S V
C
i
2
2

= I
odd n
n
n A s U
, 1
) sin( 4 u
Substituting
into
}

s
y y ) ( 4
1
t
}
s
S V
}
s
S V
i
into
gives A AR C t
) 1 (
2
o
t
+ =
AR
C
C
L
D
i
u) sin(
1

= odd n
n
n nA
w
o
gives
1
A AR C
L
t =

=
=
odd n
n
A A n
, 3
2
1
) / ( o
u sin
, 1 =

=
odd n
V
o
(

+ =

=
u
t
u u o o
t
sin
4
) sin( sin ) (
4
, 1
0
s
cn
n A
s
c
odd n
n
Solution of monoplane equation p q
(

+ =

u
t
u u o o
t
sin
4
) sin( sin ) (
4
1
0
s
cn
n A
s
c
dd
n

=
4 4
, 1
s s
odd n
y
s -s
0
t u
u / u cos / = s y
s=2. 8; %Hal f span ( di st ances nor mal i zed on r oot chor d) ; p ( )
al pha=5*pi / 180; %5 degr ees angl e of at t ack
al pha0=- 5. 4*pi / 180; %Zer o l i f t AoA=- 5. 4 deg. f or Cl ar k Y
N=20; %N=20 poi nt s acr oss hal f span
t h=[ 1: N] ' / N*pi / 2; %Col umn vect or of t het a' s
cos( t h) *s %Span i se posi t i on
llt.m
y=- cos( t h) *s; %Spanwi se posi t i on
c=ones( si ze( t h) ) ; %Rect angul ar wi ng, so c = c_r ever ywher e
n=1: 2: 2*N- 1; %Row vect or of odd i ndi ces
r es=pi *c/ 4/ s. *( al pha- al pha0) . *si n( t h) ; %N by 1 r esul t vect or
coef =si n( t h*n) . *( pi *c*n/ 4/ s+r epmat ( si n( t h) , 1, N) ) ; %N by N coef f i ci ent mat r i x
a=coef \ r es; %N by 1 sol ut i on vect or
gamma=4*si n( t h*n) *a; %Nor mal i zed on ui nf and s
w=- ( si n( t h*n) *( a *n' ) ) / si n( t h) ;

= I
odd n
n
n A s U
, 1
) sin( 4 u
w= ( si n( t h n) ( a. n ) ) . / si n( t h) ;
AR=2*s/ mean( c) ;
CL=AR*pi *a( 1) ;
CDi =CL^2/ pi / AR*( 1+n( 2: end) *( a( 2: end) . ^2/ a( 1) . ^2) ) ;
1
A AR C
L
t =
) 1 (
2
o
t
+ =
AR
C
C
L
D
i
(

+ =

=
u
t
u u o o
t
sin
4
) sin( sin ) (
4
, 1
0
s
cn
n A
s
c
odd n
n
,
Example p
C 0 80783 C 0 038738
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
0
0.05
0.1
x/c
y
/
c
o
o
~-5.4
o
Our AR=5.6 Rectangular Clark Y Wing
0.1
0.15
0.2
V

s
C
L
=0.80783, C
Di
=0.038738
-1 -0.9 -0.8 -0.7 -0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0
0
0.05
I
/
-0.1
-0.05
0
-
w
/
V

-1 -0.9 -0.8 -0.7 -0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0

-0.2
-0.15
y/s
-
Determine aerodynamic characteristics
of our rectangular Clark Y wing
Drag Polar Drag Polar
Note that friction drag coefficient of 0.01 added to C
Di
If we pretend wing is elliptical If we pretend wing is elliptical
0 2
C
L
=0.80783, C
Di
=0.038738
0.1
0.15
0.2
I
/
V

s
AR=5.6, o=5
o
, o
0
=-5.6
o
-1 -0.9 -0.8 -0.7 -0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0
0
0.05
0
-0 15
-0.1
-0.05
-
w
/
V

-1 -0.9 -0.8 -0.7 -0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0

-0.2
0.15
y/s
Thus, an elliptical lift distribution can often be a good approximation!
The Elliptic Wing The Elliptic Wing
The minimum drag occurs for a wing for which A
n
=0 for n>3. For this wing:
( ) s y / cos = u

= I
odd n
n
n A s U
, 1
) sin( 4 u 1.
u) sin(

n
n nA
u
u
sin
) sin(
, 1

=
odd n
n
n nA
V
w
2.
wc c V t o o t + = I

) (
0
3.
Spitfire Spitfire
Note that the chordlengths are all lined up along the quarter chord line so Note that the chordlengths are all lined up along the quarter chord line so
the actual wing shape is not an ellipse
Further results Further results
1
A AR C
L
t =
AR
C
C
L
D
i
t
2
=
1
A
V
w
=
AR t
V

Not done yet Not done yet

AR
C
C
L
D
i
t
2
=
2
) ( 2
0
+

=
AR
AR
C
L
o o t
AR
i
t 2 + AR
Geometrically Similar Wings Geometrically Similar Wings
These results work quite well even for non-elliptical wings:
| |
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
B A
L
B A
AR AR
C 1 1
t
o o
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
B A
L
D D
AR AR
C
C C
iB iA
1 1
2
t
P dtl
Prandtls Classic
Rectangular Wing
Data for Different
Aspect Ratios
Prandtls
rescaling using
LLT result to
AR=5