Measurement of pressure distribution constructed to verify flight-weight

and lift for an airfoil structure at Mach 7 flight conditions.

Objective In order to meet up at the trailing edge,

the molecules at the upper surface need

The purpose of the experiment is to
to moves faster than the molecules
measure the pressure distribution along
under the wing. This will create a lower
the surface of NACA 4415 airfoil and
pressure at the top of the wing from
determine the coefficient of lift at
Bernoulli’s equation. The difference in
various angle of attack.
pressure across the airfoil generates the
Introduction
lift. Lift is the force that directly opposes

The history of wind tunnel testing the weight of an airplane and holds it in

began in 1871 when Frank H. Wenham the air. Angle of attack is the angle

designed and operated the first wind between the chord line of the wing and

tunnel to test the trunk. The idea of relative wind. By increasing the angle of

airfoil was developed in the late 1800’s attack, lift will increase until it reach at

where H.F. Philips patented a series of certain angle, the lift will loss and a

airfoil shapes with curvature. sudden increase of resistance and drag.

A pitching moment is any moment

From the mid-1930’s until 1960’s the
acting on the pitch axis of a moving
Kristen Wind Tunnel have been
body. In this experiment wind tunnel
regularly used for testing the Davis
testing I measured pressure distribution
wing which used and tested on
along the surface of NACA4415 airfoil
Consolidated B-24. Current wind tunnel
using UTM-LST Low Speed Wind
is developed by Langley facility is the 8-
Tunnel at various manually adjusted
Foot High Temperature Tunnel (8' HTT)
angle of attack inside several free stream
which started operations in 1967, was
air velocity.
Materials and Method been associated to the computer to run

the Aerolab UTM-Low Speed Tunnel

In this wind tunnel testing is to
software to read the pressure
investigate the pressure distribution
distribution along the airfoil for 10
along the NACA 4415 airfoil at various
seconds with 1000 readings for every 1
angle of attack. The test was conducted
seconds. Firstly, I set the airfoil at 0
in 0.45m x 0.45m UTM- Low Speed
degree angle of attack using protractor
Tunnel. The wind tunnel has axial fan
attached outside of the test section. I
driven by 15kW DC motor at variable
took readings for the pressure
speed. To measure the gauge pressure
distribution when the wind tunnel was
distribution along the chord, I used
not operated. To stimulate the actual
multi-tube manometer transducer
flow on the airfoil, I then let the wind
system while to compute the pressure, I
tunnel motor (TECO ED COUPLING,
used Electronic Auto-Zeroing Pressure
TYPE EDVS, TECO ELEC. &
Scanner (FlowKinetic LLC FKP5 30DP)
MACH.CO.LTD, Taiwan R.O.C) to
and record the data by using Data
rotate the blade by turning the speed
Acquisition Program in LabVIEW. To
controller (SPEECON-5200-S, ED
measure the airspeed, I used digital
MOTOR CONTROL PANEL TYPE
anemometer.
JVTMBSTER400YN)until the digital
The experiment begin with the
anemometer display 10m/s (DP-CALC,
placement of the model NACA 4415
TSI). I set the airfoil to be at -5 degree
airfoil in the test section of UTM-Low
angle of attack. After 10 seconds, I took
Speed Tunnel. I connected the 17
the pressure readings on the using the
pressure sensor tubes labelled from 1 to
software. I set the airfoil to -3, 0, 3, 6, 9,
17 mounted along the airfoil to the
12, 15, and 18 degree angle of attack and
pressure scanner (FlowKinetic LLC
let the flow to stabilize before took
FKP5 30DP). The pressure scanner then
pressure readings for each degree. I
repeat the steps for wind tunnel speed in the test area created in the test section

at 15 m/s and 20 m/s. produced by the fan blades, wall

roughness, vibrations running through

During the experiment, I assumed that
the walls and sound.
the airflow in the wind to be

incompressible. This is because air is not The total pressure is the sum of static

affected by compressibility when it pressure and dynamic pressure. The

speed is at Mach 0.3 or less. The wind total pressure is measured by using

tunnel was only capable to reached digital anemometer. The total pressure

Mach 0.25. Other than that, I assume is obtained from Pitot tube and the static

that the flow was viscous. Boundary pressure is obtained from a suitably

layer will be formed on the surface of place static pressure tap. The pressure

the model and thus have velocity distribution on the airfoil is expressed in

gradients. The flow was assumed to be dimensionless form by the pressure

adiabatic because there was no heat coefficient Cp,

transferred between the airfoil model

𝑃𝑖 − 𝑃∞
Cp =
and the airflow as it was in the same 𝑞∞
temperature and environment.
where the dynamic pressure is
There were a few troubles that I
1
confronted amid the investigation. First
q∞ = 𝜌𝑈 2
2
and foremost the wind stream vary and
Pi is the pressure measure at location i
need a couple of seconds to balance out
on the surface, P∞ is the pressure in the
in the wake of changing the airfoil
free stream, 𝜌 is air density and U is the
approach. This can be seen from the
free-stream velocity.
flow visualization of graph velocity and

pressure on the software. The variance

was because of turbulent that happened

Results pattern of the graph is a bit similar

where at first the lower surface line is

The graph is plot with three different
above upper surface line but then been
velocity (10m/s,15m/s and 20m/s) and
overtake. For AoA of 0 degree until 9
various angle of attack (AoA). For the
degree, the upper surface line is above
graph of Cp against x/c with velocity of
lower surface line and the gap between
10m/s we can see that at the AoA of -5
both lines getting broad. But at AoA of
degree, at the beginning the line of
12 degree the gap getting smaller and at
lower surface is higher than upper
AoA 15 degree, the lower surface start
surface but eventually drop below the
to overlap with the upper surface line
upper surface line. For AoA of -3
and after that overtake it. For the graph
degree, the pattern of line is similar with
of Cp against x/c with velocity of 20m/s,
the previous AoA but the gap between
the graphs have the same trend as the
both lines slightly narrow. For AoA of 0
previous. For the graph of CL against
degree until 9 degree, the upper surface
AoA, the graph is increase but
line take over the lower surface line. The
eventually drop at a certain point and
gap between both lines are wider. But at
going downwards after that.
the AoA of 12 degree, the gap between

both lines started to decline. By the time Discussion

AoA reached 16 degree, the lower

Based on the graph CL against angle of
surface line overlap the upper surface
attack (AoA) we can see that at a low
line and at AoA of 18 degree, the lower
angle, the lift coefficient almost linear.
surface line is above the upper surface
Notice at this plot that at the 0 degree
line.
for all three different velocities, there is

For the graph of Cp against x/c with a small amount of lift that been

velocity of 15m/s we can see that at the generated because of the airfoil shape.

AoA of -5 degree and -3 degree, the On the off chance that the airfoil had
been symmetric, the lift would be zero Conclusion

at zero approach. There is even positive

From the result of pressure distribution
lift coefficients for slightly negative
it can be conclude that the higher the
angles of attack. At the privilege of the
velocity, the higher the Reynolds
bend, the lift changes rather
number and more lift can be generated.
unexpectedly and the bend stops. At
But at the certain angle of attack, the lift
this point where the angle of attack is 9
cannot be generated because of the
degree, we can said that the airfoil is in
presence of vortices above the airfoil
stall condition. This event happen due
and as a result the airfoil is in stall
to processes within the boundary layer,
condition.
the layer of retarded air near the surface
Acknowledgement
of the airfoil. In place for an airfoil to be

successful, the air must stream totally I would like to thank my lecturer Dr.

around the front edge of the airfoil. At Nazri Mohd Nazri for guiding me

too substantial an approach, the air in during the whole process of making this

the limit layer close to the main edge report. I also want to give some credits

does not succeed in that and it to En Abd Basid Bin Abd Rahman and

differentiates from the airfoil surface. Mohd Mahathir Mohmad for assisted

Because of the angle of attack is big, the me during the experiment.

boundary layer vortices have separated

References
from the top surface of the airfoil, and
1. Geoffrey DeSena: Pressure
the incoming flow does no longer bend
Distribution on an Airfoil. EA303
completely around the leading edge.
Laboratory report, 2012.
Once the airfoil stall, the lift eventually
2. J.D. Anderson: Fundamental of
drop off and we can see that at the plot
Aerodynamics, 5th Ed, New York.
where the graph gradually decline at

angle of attack 12 degree.

Appendix

Figure 1: Pressure Coefficient with 10 m/s of velocity and various angle of attack
Figure 2: Pressure Coefficient with 15 m/s of velocity and various angle of attack
Figure 3: Pressure Coefficient with 20 m/s of velocity and various angle of attack
Figure 4: Lift Coefficient against Angle of Attack
Figure 5: Test section of UTM-Low Speed Tunnel

Figure 6: Airfoil Nomenclature