In Chapter 1 it was established that for flows at high Reynolds number the effects of viscosity are effectively confined to thin boundary layers and thin wakes. For this reason our study of low-speed aerodynamics will be limited to flows outside these limited regions where the flow is assumed to be inviscid and incompressible. To develop the mathematical equations that govern these flows and the tools that we will need to solve the equations it is necessary to study rotation in the fluid and to demonstrate its relationship to the effects of viscosity.

It is the goal of this chapter to define the mathematical problem (differential equation and boundary conditions) of low-speed aerodynamics whose solution will occupy us for the remainder of the book.

Angular Velocity, Vorticity, and Circulation

The arbitrary motion of a fluid element consists of translation, rotation, and deformation. To illustrate the rotation of a moving fluid element, consider at t = t0 the control volume shown in Fig. 2.1. Here, for simplicity, we select an infinitesimal rectangular element that is being translated in the z = 0 plane by a velocity (u, v) of its corner no. 1. The lengths of the sides, parallel to the x and y directions, are Δx and Δy, respectively. Because of the velocity variations within the fluid the element may deform and rotate, and, for example, the x component of the velocity at the upper corner (no. 4) of the element will be (u + (∂u/∂y)Δy), where higher order terms in the small quantities Δx and Δy are neglected.