Tutorial Problem: Source Panel Method

To calculate the pressure coefficient of a circular cylinder of unit radius, Find the value I4,2
using Source Panel Method.

Solution:

• (xi, yi) are the coordinates of the control point of the ith panel and (xj, yj) are the running
coordinates over the entire jth panel.
• The coordinates of the boundary points for the ith panel are (Xi, Yi) and (Xi+1, Yi+1).
• The coordinates of the boundary points for the jth panel are (Xj, Yj) and (Xj+1, Yj+1).
• β is the angle between the freestream vector and the outward normal vector.
• Φ is the angle from the positive x-axis to the inside surface of the panel.
• δ is the angle from the positive x-axis to an outward normal vector of the panel.

 =  + (  2) − 
 =  + (  2)

2nd panel 4th panel

 • Dividing the circle into 8 segments, we get the angle between the boundary points
360°/8 = 45° (angle between two boundary points).
• The coordinates of the 2nd and 4th panel can be calculated as follows:

4th panel:

( )
Xi+1 = r cos  = 1.cos 22.5  (  180 ) = 0.9239

( )
Yi+1 = r sin  = 1.sin 22.5  (  180 ) = 0.3827
X = r cos  = 1.cos ( 67.5  (  180 ) ) = 0.3827
i

Y = r sin  = 1.sin ( 67.5  (  180 ) ) = 0.9239

i

2nd Panel:

( )
X j = r cos  = 1.cos 157.5  (  180 ) = −0.9239

( )
Yj = r sin  = 1.sin 157.5  (  180 ) = 0.3827

( )
X j+1 = r cos  = 1.cos 112.5  (  180 ) = −0.3827

( )
Yj+1 = r sin  = 1.sin 112.5  (  180 ) = 0.9239
The integral Iij is evaluated at the 4th panel control point and the integral is taken over the
complete 2nd panel.
 
Iij = 
j n
(ln rij ) ds j
i

(x − x ) + (y − y )
2 2
rij = i j i j

 1 rij
ni
( ln rij ) =
rij ni

 x y 
 1 rij
 ( xi − x j ) i + ( yi − y j ) i 
ni ni 
Iij = 
j n
( ln rij ) ds j = 
j r n
ds j =  
j ( x − x ) 2 + ( y − y )2 
ds j
i ij i
 i j i j 
Sj Cs j + D
Iij =  ds j
0 s2j + 2As j + B
(Detailed derivation can be found in the Appendix)
Where,

A = − ( xi − X j ) cos  j − ( yi − Yj ) sin  j

B = ( xi − X j ) + ( yi − Yj )
2 2

C = sin (  i −  j )
D = ( yi − Yj ) cos  i − ( xi − X j ) sin  i

(X j+1 − X j ) + ( Yj+1 − Yj )
2 2
Sj =

E = B − A 2 = ( xi − X j ) sin  j − ( yi − Yj ) cos  j
From any standard table of integrals:

C  S j + 2AS j + B  D − AC  
2

−1 S j + A
 −1  A 
Ii,j = ln  +  tan   − tan  E  
2  B  E   E   
 
Assuming a unit radius for the cylinder, we see that

X j = −0.9239; X j+1 = −0.3827; Yj = 0.3827

Yj+1 = 0.9239; i = 315 ;  j = 45 ; x i = 0.6533
yi = 0.6533
Hence, substituting these numbers into the above formulas, we obtain
A = −1.3065; B = 2.5607; C = −1; D = 1.3065
S j = 0.7654; E = 0.9239
Inserting the above values, we obtain
I4,2 = 0.4018

Appendix
From logarithmic and exponential functions,

•
d x
dx
( )
e = ex

d 1
• ln x =
dx x
dln ( x ) 1 dx 1
• = =
dx x dx x
d ln (F ( x ) )  1 dF ( x )
• =
dx F ( x ) dx
Using the above function, we get

 1 rij 1  
( ln rij ) = ( xi − x j ) + ( yi − y j ) 
2 2 12
=
ni rij ni rij ni  

rij 2 −1 2  x y 
1
( ) ( )  2 ( xi − x j ) i + 2 ( yi − y j ) i 
2
= x − x + y − y 
ni 2   ni ni 
i j i j

 x y 
2 ( x i − x j ) i + ( y i − y j ) i 
1 rij  ni ni 
=
rij ni
2 ( x i − x j ) + ( y i − y j )  ( x i − x j ) + ( y i − y j ) 
2 2 12 2 2 12

   
b+c
Note: a a = a
b c

 x y 
1 rij 
 ( xi − x j ) i + ( yi − y j ) i 
ni ni 
=
rij ni ( x − x )2 + ( y − y )2 
 i j i j 
From the figure, we get
xi y
= cos i and i = sin i
ni ni
Hence,

( xi − x j ) cos i + ( y i − y j ) sin i 
Iij =    ds
( x − x ) + ( y − y ) 
j 2 2 j

 i j i j 

(xj, yj) are the running coordinates over the entire jth panel.
x j = X j + s j cos  j
y j = Yj + s j sin  j

i and  j are angles measured in the counterclockwise direction from the x-axis to
the bottom of each panel.
i in terms of i can be written as,

i = i − 90

(
cos ( i ) = cos  i + 90 = − sin (  i ) )
(
sin ( i ) = sin  i + 90 = cos (  i ))
Iij can be written as,

( xi − x j ) ( − sin  i ) + ( yi − y j ) ( cos  i ) 
Iij =    ds
( x − x ) + ( y − y ) 
j 2 2 j

 i j i j 
Substitute the following terms into Iij , we obtain

x j = X j + s j cos  j
y j = Yj + s j sin  j

(
Iij =  
) ( )
 xi − ( X j + s j cos  j ) ( − sin i ) + yi − ( Yj + s j sin  j ) ( cos i ) 
 ds
( (
 x − X + s cos 
) ( ) ( ) 
)
j 2 2 j
+ y − Y + s sin 
 i j j j i j j j 
Numerator:

( x − ( X + s cos  )) ( − sin  ) + ( y − ( Y + s sin  )) (cos  )

i j j j i i j j j i
Expanding all the terms, we get

−xi sin ( i ) + X j sin ( i ) + s j sin ( i ) cos (  j ) + yi cos ( i ) − y j cos ( i ) − s j cos ( i ) sin (  j )

Grouping the terms, we get

( X − x ) sin (  ) + ( y − Y ) cos (  ) + s sin (  ) cos (  ) − cos (  ) sin (  )

j i i i j i j i j i j

We know that,
sin ( A − B ) = sin ( A ) cos (B ) − cos ( A ) sin (B )
Using the above trigonometric identity,

− ( xi − X j ) sin ( i ) + ( yi − Yj ) cos ( i ) + s j sin ( i −  j )

Numerator takes the following form:

Cs j + D

where
C = sin ( i −  j )
D = − ( xi − X j ) sin ( i ) + ( yi − Yj ) cos ( i )

Denominator:

( xi − ( X j + s j cos  j ) ) ( + yi − ( Yj + s j sin  j ) )
2 2

Expanding the terms, we get

(x − x ) + (y − y )
2 2
i j i j = xi2 − 2xi x j + x 2j + yi2 − 2yi y j + y 2j
where
x j = X j + s j cos (  j )
y j = Yj + s j sin (  j )

Plug in for xj and yj, we get

xi2 − 2xi  X j + s j cos (  j )  +  X j + s j cos (  j )  + y i2 − 2y i  Yj + s j sin (  j ) +  Yj + s j sin (  j )

2 2

By expanding,

xi2 − 2x i X j − 2x is j cos (  j ) + X 2j + 2X js j cos (  j ) + s 2j cos 2 (  j ) + y i2 − 2y i Yj

−2yis j sin (  j ) + y 2j + 2y js j sin (  j ) + s2j sin2 (  j )

In quadratic form,

s2j sin2 (  j ) + cos2 (  j )  + 2s j  − xi cos (  j ) + X j cos (  j ) − yi sin (  j ) + Yj sin (  j ) 

( ) (
+  xi2 − 2xi X j + X2j + yi2 − 2yi Yj + Yj2  )
Takes the form,
s2j + 2As j + B

where,
A = − ( xi − X j ) cos (  j ) − ( y i − Yj ) sin (  j )

B = ( xi − X j ) + ( yi − Yj )
2 2

Integral, we are trying to solve

Sj Cs j + D
Ii,j =  ds j
0 s2j + 2As j + B
Using x to make integral more recognizable,
Cx + D
Ii,j =  dx
x + 2Ax + B
2

2 2
 2A   2A 
x + 2Ax + B = x + 2Ax + 
2

2
+B− 
 2   2 
(
= x 2 + 2Ax + A 2 + B − A 2 ) ( )
= ( x + A ) + E2
2

The general procedure for integrating a partial fraction of the form,

Ax + B
where b2 − 4ac  0
ax + bx + c
2

We complete the square in the denominator and then make a substitution that
brings the integral into the form.
Cu + D u 1
u 2
+a 2
du = C 2
u +a 2
du + D  2
u + a2
du

Then the first integral is a logarithmic and the second is expressed in terms of
tan−1
Cx + D
Ii,j =  dx
x + 2Ax + B
2

Use u-substitution to solve the integral

Define u = x + A
So, x = u – A and dx = du

Cx + D Cx + D C (u − A ) + D Cu + D − AC
Ii,j =  dx =  ( x + A ) + E2 dx =  u2 + E 2 du =  u2 + E2 du
x 2 + 2Ax + B 2
 Cu + D − AC u du
 du = C 2 du + (D − AC )  2
u +E
2 2
u +E 2
u + E2
Second term:
1 1 u
u 2
+E 2
du = tan−1  
E E 
we know that
du 1 u
u 2
+a 2
= tan−1 + cons tan t
a a
Plug in for u = x + A and evaluate the integral,

1  −1  S j + A  
Sj
Sj 1 1 −1  x + A   −1  A 
0 u2 + E2
du = 
E
tan  E 

=
 0 E 
 tan 
 E 
 − tan  E 
  
First term:
u
u 2
+ E2
du

Write the numerator in a form such that it is equal to the derivative of

denominator,
d 2
du
( 1
u + E2 = 2u   2
2u
)
2 u + E2
du

Define a new variable, Z

dz
z = u2 + E 2  = 2u  dz = 2udu
du
Plug into integral,
1 dz 1

2 z 2
1
= ln ( z ) = ln u2 + E2
2
( )
we know that,
du
 u = ln u + C
Evaluate the integral from 0 to S j

( )
Sj
1 
1
( ) ( 1
)
ln u2 + E2 =  ln x 2 + 2Ax + B  = ln S j + 2AS j + B − ln (B ) 
2

2 2 0 2  

We know that
ln ( A ) − ln (B ) = ln ( A B )
 1   S j + 2AS j + B  
2
Sj u
0 u2 + E 2
du = ln 
2  B


  
Combining the integral expressions:
u 1
Iij = C du + (D − AC )  2 du
u +E 22
u + E2
C   S j + 2AS j + B   D − AC  −1  S j + A  
2
−1  A 
Iij = ln   +  tan   − tan   
2  B  E   E   E  
  
where.
A = − ( xi − X j ) cos (  j ) − ( yi − Yj ) sin (  j )

B = ( xi − X j ) + ( yi − Yj )
2 2

C = sin (  i −  j )
D = − ( xi − X j ) sin (  i ) + ( yi − Yj ) cos (  i )

E = B − A2

Reference:

Anderson, J. (2011): Fundamentals of Aerodynamics (SI units). McGraw hill.