Foil (fluid mechanics)

A foil is a solid object with a shape such that when placed in a moving fluid at a suitable angle of attack the lift (force generated
perpendicular to the fluid flow) is substantially larger than the drag (force generated parallel the fluid flow). If the fluid is a gas, the
foil is called an airfoil or aerofoil, and if the fluid iswater the foil is called a hydrofoil.

Contents
Physics of foils
Basic design considerations
Lifted Weight
See also
References
External links

Physics of foils
A foil generates lift primarily as a result of its shape and angle of
attack. When oriented at a suitable angle, the foil deflects the
oncoming fluid, resulting in a force on the foil in the direction
opposite to the deflection. This force can be resolved into two
components: lift and drag. This "turning" of the fluid in the vicinity
of the foil creates curved streamlines which results in lower pressure
on one side and higher pressure on the other. This pressure
difference is accompanied by a velocity difference, via Bernoulli's
principle, so the resulting flowfield about the foil has a higher
Streamlines around a NACA 0012 airfoil at
average velocity on the upper surface than on the lower
moderate angle of attack
surface.[1][2][3][4]

A more detailed description of the flowfield is given by the

simplified Navier-Stokes equations, applicable when the fluid is incompressible. However, since the effects of the compressibility of
air at low speeds is negligible, these simplified equations can be used for both airfoils and hydrofoils as long as the fluid flow is
substantially less than the speed of sound (up to aboutMach 0.3).[5][6]

Basic design considerations

The degenerate case of a foil is a simple flat plate. When set at an angle (theangle of attack) to the flow the plate will deflect the fluid
passing over and under it, and this deflection will result in a lift force on the plate. However, while it does generate lift, it also
generates a large amount of drag.[7]

Since even a simple flat plate can generate lift, a significant factor in foil design is the minimization of drag. An example of this is the
rudder of a boat or aircraft. When designing a rudder a key design factor is the minimization of drag in its neutral position, which is
balanced with the need to produce sufficient lift with which to turn the craft at a reasonable rate.[8]
Other types of foils, both natural and man-made, seen both in air and water, have features that delay or control the onset of lift-
induced drag, flow separation, and stall (see Bird flight, Fin, Airfoil, Placoid scale, Tubercle, Vortex generator, Canard (close-
coupled), Blown flap, Leading edge slot, Leading edge slats), as well as Wingtip vortices (see Winglet).

Lifted Weight
Lifted weight is proportional to lift coefficient, density of fluid, wing area and true
speed by square. A comparison of lifted weight as a function of altitude and depth
reveals big differences by a factor of about 3’000in total from 11 km above sea level
to 10 km below sea level, divided into factors of: ~ 4 between summit and sea level,
~ 400 between flying close to the ground and planing on water, ~ 2 between planing
on water and in a fully submerged state. The most dramatic changes are due to
different fluids and levels of altitude. The most interesting sector to discuss lift is
close to sea level: aircraft approaching the ground, plates planing on water and
hydrofoils only barely submerged in water. There is one basic similarity across of
these: Almost any shape, as long as it is not too thick, will work as an (air)foil and Lifted Weight as a Function of
produce lift when the angle of attack is in the right [9]
range. Altitude and Depth from 20 km above
to 10 km below sea level: by a wing
of 100 m by square (aspect ratio
See also 10:1) at speed of 10 m/s.

Aircraft Drag coefficient Propeller

Bilgeboard Flipper (anatomy) Sail
Boomerang Fluid dynamics (aerodynamics)
Centerboard Formula One car Skeg
Chord (aircraft) Keel Spoiler
(hydrodynamic) (automotive)
Coanda effect
Lift coefficient Surfboard fin
Diving plane
NACA airfoil Wing

References Lifted Weight as a Function of

1. "...the effect of the wing is to give the air stream a downward velocity Altitude and Depth from 10 m above
component. The reaction force of the deflected air mass must then act to 5 m below sea level: by a wing of
on the wing to give it an equal and opposite upward component." In: 100 m by square (aspect ratio 10:1)
Halliday, David; Resnick, Robert,Fundamentals of Physics 3rd Edition, at speed of 10 m/s.
John Wiley & Sons, p. 378
2. "If the body is shaped, moved, or inclined in such a way as to produce a
net deflection or turning of the flow, the local velocity is changed in
magnitude, direction, or both. Changing the velocity creates a net force
on the body" "Lift from Flow Turning" (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-
12/airplane/right2.html). NASA Glenn Research Center. Retrieved
2011-06-29.
3. "The cause of the aerodynamic lifting force is the downward
acceleration of air by the airfoil..."Weltner, Klaus; Ingelman-Sundberg,
Martin, Physics of Flight - reviewed(https://web.archive.org/web/201107
19102847/http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~weltner/Flight/PHYSIC4.htm),
archived from the original (http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~weltner/Flight/PH
YSIC4.htm) on 2011-07-19
4. "...if a streamline is curved, there must be a pressure gradient across
the streamline..."Babinsky, Holger (November 2003),"How do wings
work?" (http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0031-9120/38/6/001/pe3_6_001.pd
f) (PDF), Physics Education
 5. "...the motion of objects in air and in water obeys identical laws until
their speed approaches the speed of sound."(page 41) "... air too can be
regarded as incompressible as long as flow speeds remain reasonably
low. This assumption is roughly valid as longas airplanes fly slower
than... about one-third of the speed of sound."(page 61)What Makes
Airplanes Fly? Wegener, Peter P. Springer-Verlag 1991 ISBN 0-387-
97513-6
6. "...the low-speed flow of air, where V < 100 m/s (or V < 225 mi/hr) can
also be assumed to be incompressible to a close approximation." in
Anderson, John D. Jr. Introduction to Flight 4th ed McGraw-Hill 2000
ISBN 0-07-109282-X pg 114
7. "A flat plate held at the proper angle of attack does generate lift, but also
generates a lot of drag. Sir George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal during the
1800s showed that curved surfaces generate more lift and less drag
than flat surfaces."
http://quest.nasa.gov/aero/planetary/atmospheric/aerodynamiclift.html
8. NASA. "What is lift?" (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/lift1.
html). What is lift?. Retrieved 7-5-2011. Check date values in:
|access-date= (help)
9. „Lifted_Weight_as_a_Function_of_Altitude_and_Depth_by_Rolf_Steinegger“
https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4058

External links
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/right2.html
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/lift1.html
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/bernnew.html
http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/shape.html
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/wrong2.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/trektrack/2388729621/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o81WIfjrt5I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A06L-npXvDM
http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/554notes3.html

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