This project was an application of vortex lattice theory taught in my aeronautics class MAE 3050. The solver is a MATLAB script written to take arbitrary airfoils and calculate the nondimensional lift and moment coefficients as defined by aeronautics theory.
The script demonstrates and applies ideas from conventional 2D thin airfoil theory to calculate coefficients by discretizing an airfoil in to panels and calculating the vortex strength at each panel by inverting a large matrix and multiplying by freestream velocity. A couple of important results are verified: that coefficient of moment is independent of angle of attack, and that coefficient of lift is proportional to angle of attack.
Check out my technical report which includes more details on the theory along with the MATLAB code for the script. Below are a couple of plots showing intermediate and final results from the script on various NACA airfoils.
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The script demonstrates and applies ideas from conventional 2D thin airfoil theory to calculate coefficients by discretizing an airfoil in to panels and calculating the vortex strength at each panel by inverting a large matrix and multiplying by freestream velocity. A couple of important results are verified: that coefficient of moment is independent of angle of attack, and that coefficient of lift is proportional to angle of attack.
Check out my technical report which includes more details on the theory along with the MATLAB code for the script. Below are a couple of plots showing intermediate and final results from the script on various NACA airfoils.
To comply with ITAR regulations and NDAs, all Astranis, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX pictures shown are available publicly online