PRESSURE AND FORCE CHARACTERISTICS OF NONCIRCULAR CYLINDERS AS AFFECTED BY REYNOLDS NUMBER WITH A METHOD INCLUDED FOR DETERMINING THE POTENTIAL FLOW ABOUT ARBITRARY SHAPES

摘要

The low-Speed pressure distribution and force characteristics of several noncircular two-dimensional cylinders have been measured in a wind tunnel through a range of Reynolds numbers and flow incidences. The flow incidences are analogous to the angle of attack of a two-dimensional airfoil and in addition correspond, to combined, angles of attack and sideslip in the crossflow plane of three-dimensional bodies. In view of this cor¬respondence the force results are discussed in terms of the directional stability and spinning characteris¬tics of fuselages at high angles of attack. Large effects of Reynolds number were encountered, in both the overall forces and the distribution of the pressures. A method of determining the potential-flow pressure distribution for arbitrary cross sections is developed and the results are compared with experiment.