The Pressure Distribution on the Surface of an Ellipsoid in Inviscid Flow

Abstract

SummaryThe classic equations for inviscid flow about an ellipsoid are employed to compute the corresponding static pressure distribution which can then be applied to a number of practical problems. The tension in the skin of a dirigible, the gross pressure distribution around a man in an open ejection seat, the aerodynamic lift on an air cushion vehicle, automobile or high speed boat, the “squatting” of a ship, are all examples of practical applications. A remarkable result from the theory is that the lowest pressure, that around the equator normal to the flow, is always constant around the equator, no matter how much disparity there is between the semi-axes b and c.