A uniformly asymptotic solution for incompressible flow past thin sharp-edged aerofoils at zero incidence

Abstract

Expansions obtained from classical subsonic thin-aerofoil theory break down in the neighbourhood of the aerofoil edges. At sharp edges the method of matched asymptotic expansions fails to remedy this. Here this failure is explained, and in the case of incompressible flow past a symmetric aerofoil at zero incidence it is shown that by proper choice of the dependent variable an expansion may be obtained which is uniformly asymptotic. Finally, the case of a circular-arc aerofoil is considered in more detail.