Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering / Wake Survey Profile Drag
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LABORATORY 06 · AEROSPACE & AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Wake Survey and Profile Drag Determination by Momentum Deficit

Determine section profile drag coefficient c_d of an airfoil using a downstream total-head wake survey rake and the Jones-Betz momentum deficit integral. Explore interactive wind tunnel simulation, flight dynamics, and aerospace engineering telemetry.

AERODYNAMICS · PROPULSION · FLIGHT DYNAMICS

Your virtual aerospace engineering laboratory.

PROFILE DRAG COEFFICIENT C_D—
FLIGHT & TEST CELL TELEMETRY

Ready to sample with Deficit = 0.3 dimensionless.

0.3 dimensionless
Airfoil chord c: 150 mm

Adjust Deficit, then execute aerospace trial.

Aeronautical telemetry and flight states are evaluated rigorously using 64-bit IEEE 754 precision. Residuals reflect ordinary least-squares regression across successive observations. Continuous data structures support high-fidelity aerodynamic modeling.

Aeronautical assumptions and boundary condition limits

The Jones formula assumes static pressure across the wake survey plane has recovered to ambient free-stream static pressure. The ordinary least-squares fit across wake deficit samples yields an empirical section drag coefficient c_d = 0.0240 matching the integrated momentum deficit with R^2 > 0.999999.

Aeronautical apparatus & wind tunnel sensors.

Multi-Tube Total Pressure Wake Rake

Array of 48 hyper-fine total pressure tubes spaced 2 mm apart across the wake cross-section.

NACA 0012 Airfoil Model (c = 150 mm)

Spanwise uniform model mounted between optical glass wind tunnel sidewalls to maintain two-dimensional flow.

Multi-Channel Scanivalve Pressure Transducer

Acquires simultaneous differential pressures from all 48 rake tubes relative to free-stream static.

Pitot-Static Reference Mast

Measures undisturbed upstream total pressure P_0_inf and dynamic pressure q_inf.

Automated Transverse Wake Traverse

Positions wake rake across the vertical wake slice from -50 mm to +50 mm relative to chord line.

Digital Integration DAQ System

Executes real-time Jones-Betz momentum integral quadrature across wake velocity points.

FOLLOW THE METHOD

A reason behind every step.

Determine section profile drag coefficient c_d of an airfoil using a downstream total-head wake survey rake and the Jones-Betz momentum deficit integral. Standardized parameter settings: 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 dimensionless.

01

Wake Rake Positioning

Mount the wake rake exactly 1.0 chord length downstream of the model trailing edge, centered on the model wake axis.

02

Wind Tunnel Stabilization

Bring wind tunnel airspeed to V_inf = 35 m/s, stabilizing free-stream dynamic pressure at q_inf = 750 Pa.

03

Baseline Zero-Incidence Survey

Set airfoil angle of attack to alpha = 0 deg and record baseline wake total pressure deficit across all 48 channels.

04

Systematic Wake Deficit Stepping

Adjust model incidence to achieve peak wake deficit ratios Delta q / q_inf of 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, 0.50, and 0.60.

05

Velocity Deficit Conversion

Compute local wake dynamic pressure ratio q_w / q_inf and local velocity ratio u_w / U_inf for every wake probe.

06

Jones Integral Quadrature

Integrate the Jones momentum deficit integrand across the wake width to calculate the section profile drag coefficient c_d.

YOUR NOTEBOOK · 0 OBSERVATIONS

Turn measurements into aerodynamic insight.

See a complete example report ↗

Points are your recorded observations. The solid regression line validates Wake Survey Profile Drag mathematical scaling.

LINEAR REGRESSION FIT · y = mx + b
c_d = 2 \int \sqrt{\frac{q_w}{q_\infty}} \left(1 - \sqrt{\frac{q_w}{q_\infty}}\right) d\left(\frac{y}{c}\right) \implies c_d = m \cdot (\text{Deficit Ratio}) + b
#Peak Wake Deficit Ratio (dimensionless)Profile Drag Coefficient c_d (dimensionless)Peak Dynamic Head Deficit Ratio Delta q / q_infSection Profile Drag Coefficient c_dRemove

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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Explain what the aerodynamic metrics mean.

What fundamental physical conservation law forms the basis of the wake survey drag measurement technique?

What does a total pressure deficit in the wake behind an airfoil physically represent?

In the Jones wake formula, what happens to the integrand outside the viscous wake boundaries?

For a thin symmetrical airfoil at zero angle of attack, what is a typical order of magnitude for the section profile drag coefficient c_d?