AXISYMMETRIC OSCILLATORY FLOW OVER PROLATE SPHEROIDS

Abstract

An analytical solution is obtained for the problem of axisymmetric inviscid incompressible flow over a prolate spheroid placed in an oscillating free stream. The oscillations are harmonic and the free stream is always parallel to the spheroid major axis. The flow is governed by the Strouhal number and the spheroid axis ratio. Analytical expressions are obtained for the potential function, the surface pressure distribution, and the hydrodynamic force coefficient. The solution covers a wide range of spheroidal shapes ranging from a sphere at one end to a thin needle at the other.