CLASS
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
In aerodynamics, the critical Mach
number (Mcr) of an aircraft is the
lowest Mach number at which the
airflow over some point of the aircraft
reaches the speed of sound.
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
For all aircraft in flight, the airflow
speed around the aircraft is not
exactly the same as the airspeed of
the aircraft due to the airflow
speeding up and slowing down to
travel around the aircraft structure.
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
At the Critical Mach number, local
airflow in some areas near the
airframe reaches the speed of sound,
even though the aircraft itself has an
airspeed lower than Mach 1.0. This
creates a weak shock wave
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
At speeds faster than the Critical Mach
number:
in an aircraft not designed
for transonic or supersonic speeds, changes to
the airflow over the flight control surfaces lead
to the problem in control of the aircraft
the drag coefficient increases suddenly,
causing dramatically increased drag
PROBLEMS AT THE CRITICAL MACH
The
phenomena associated with problems
at the Critical Mach number became
known as compressibility. Compressibility
led to a number of accidents involving
high-speed military and experimental
aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s.
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER (SOUND BARRIER)
Although unknown at the time, compressibility
was the cause of the phenomenon known as
the sound barrier. Subsonic aircraft hase
relatively thick, unswept wings and are
incapable of reaching Mach 1.0.
In 1947 the sound barrier was finally broken.
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
Early transonic military aircrafts were designed to
fly satisfactorily faster than their Critical Mach
number.
They did not possess sufficient engine thrust to
reach Mach 1.0 in level flight but could be dived to
Mach 1.0.
Modern passenger-carrying jet aircraft such
as Airbus and Boeing aircraft have Maximum
Operating Mach numbers slower than Mach 1.0.
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
Supersonic aircraft, such
as Concorde, Lockheed F-104, and MiG
21 are designed to exceed Mach 1.0 in level
flight and therefore are designed with very thin
wings.
Their Critical Mach numbers are higher than
those of subsonic and transonic aircraft but
still less than Mach 1.0.
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER
The actual Critical Mach number varies from
wing to wing.
In general a thicker wing will have a lower
Critical Mach number, because a thicker wing
accelerates the airflow to a faster speed than a
thinner one.
For instance, the fairly thick wing on the P-38
Lightning has a Critical Mach number of about
.69.
P-38 LIGHTNING
CRITICAL MACH NUMBER, MCR
Flow over airfoil may have
sonic regions even though
freestream M < 1
INCREASED DRAG!
14
Stagnation to Static Density Ratio
Cp/Cv=1.4
12
10
0 1 2
1
M
2
1
1
6
4
2
0
0
0.5
1.5
Mach Number
2.5
14
WHEN
IS FLOW COMPRESSIBLE?
Cp/Cv=1.4
1.2
12
Stagnation to Static Density Ratio
Stagnation to Static Density Ratio
Cp/Cv=1.4
10
8
6
4
0 1 2
1
M
2
1.15
1.1
1
1
1.05
0.95
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Mach Number
2
0
0
0.5
1.5
Mach Number
2.5
COMPRESSIBILITY SENSITIVITY WITH G
30
Stagnation to Static Density Ratio
Cp/Cv=1.4
Cp/Cv=1.2
25
20
15
10
0
0
0.5
1.5
Mach Number
2.5
CRITICAL FLOW AND SHOCK WAVES
M CR M Drag Divergence 1.0
MCR
Sharp increase in cd is combined effect of shock waves and flow separation
Freestream Mach number at which cd begins to increase rapidly called DragDivergence Mach number
CRITICAL FLOW AND SHOCK WAVES
bubble of supersonic flow
CRITICAL FLOW AND SHOCK WAVES
MCR
AIRFOIL THICKNESS SUMMARY
Which creates most lift?
Which has higher critical Mach number?
Thicker airfoil
Note: thickness is relative
to chord in all cases
Ex. NACA 0012 12 %
Thinner airfoil
Which is better?
Application dependent!
CAN WE PREDICTA MCR?
C p, A
M 2
1 2
1
M
p0
pA
2
p p
1 1 M 2
A
p0
2
pA
Pressure coefficient defined in terms of
Mach number (instead of velocity)
PROVE THIS FOR CONCEPT QUIZ
pA
1
p
In an isentropic flow total pressure, p0,
is constant
May be related to freestream pressure,
p, and static pressure at A, pA
CAN WE PREDICT MCR?
C p, A
2
1
M
2
2
1
2
M 1 1 M 2
A
C P ,CR
2
2
M CR
2
1
M CR
2
1
1
Combined result
Relates local value of CP to local
Mach number
Can think of this as compressible
flow version of Bernoullis equation
Set MA = 1 (onset of supersonic flow)
Relates CP,CR to MCR
HOW DO WE USE THIS?
1.
2.
3.
Plot curve of CP,CR vs. M
Obtain incompressible value of CP at minimum pressure point on given
airfoil
Use any compressibility correction (such as P-G) and plot CP vs. M
Intersection of these two curves represents point corresponding to sonic
flow at minimum pressure location on airfoil
Value of M at this intersection is MCR
1
C P ,CR
2
2
M CR
2
1
M CR
2
1
1
Cp
C p,0
1 M 2
IMPLICATIONS: AIRFOIL THICKNESS
Note: thickness is relative
to chord in all cases
Ex. NACA 0012 12 %
Thick airfoils have a lower critical Mach number than thin airfoils
Desirable to have MCR as high as possible
Implication for design high speed wings usually design with thin
airfoils
Supercritical airfoil is somewhat thicker
ROOT
TO TIP AIRFOIL THICKNESS TRENDS
Boeing 737
Root
Mid-Span
http://www.nasg.com/afdb/list-airfoil-e.phtml
Tip
SWEPT WINGS
All modern high-speed aircraft have swept wings: WHY?
PAKFA T 50
F - 35
WHY WING SWEEP?
Wing sees component of flow normal to leading edge
WHY WING SWEEP?
V,n
V
V,n < V
Wing sees component of flow normal to leading edge
SWEPT WINGS: SUBSONIC FLIGHT
Recall MCR
If M > MCR large
increase in drag
Wing sees
component of
flow normal to
leading edge
Can increase M
By sweeping
wings of
subsonic aircraft,
drag divergence
is delayed to
higher Mach
numbers
SWEPT WINGS: SUBSONIC FLIGHT
Alternate Explanation:
Airfoil has same thickness but
longer effective chord
Effective airfoil section is thinner
Making airfoil thinner increases
critical Mach number
Sweeping wing usually reduces
lift for subsonic flight
WING SWEEP DISADVANTAGE
At M ~ 0.6, severely
reduced L/D
Benefit of this design
is at M > 1, to sweep
wings inside Mach
cone
Wing sweep beneficial in that it increases drag-divergences Mach number
Increasing wing sweep reduces the lift coefficient
