Energetics and optimum motion of oscillating lifting surfaces of finite span

Abstract

The energetics of an unswept wing of finite span oscillating harmonically in combined pitch and heave in in viscid incompressible flow are determined in closed form. The calculations are based on a recently developed low-frequency unsteady lifting-line theory. The energetic calculations for the wing consist of sectional and total values of thrust, leading-edge suction force, power required to maintain the wing oscillations, and energy-loss rate due to vortex shedding in the wake, where the latter quantity is only defined for the entire wing. These results are used to analyse the optimum motion of a wing oscillating harmonically: optimum motion minimizes the power input for fixed average total thrust. The optimum solution is found to be unique (at least for low reduced frequencies), in contrast to the two-dimensional optimum, which is non-unique. Numerical results are presented for the energetics and optimum motion of an elliptic wing.To understand better the structure of the known solution for the optimum motion of an oscillating two-dimensional airfoil, the solution is recast in terms of the normal modes of the energy-loss-rate matrix. It is found that one of the modes, termed here the ‘invisible mode’, plays a central role in the optimum solution and is responsible for its non-uniqueness. The three-dimensional optimum, which is unique, does not have an invisible mode.