ans Conte of Pressure NATIONAL AERONAUTICS t Tet only site AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION + Contact Glenn Glenn Center of Pressure - cp Research Center Aerodynamic: Force Low Angle High Angle of Attack Pressure of Attack Variation rv ‘Center of Moving Fluid Pressure Center of Pressure is the average location of the pressure. Pressure varies around the surface of an object. P = P(x) Ce p(x) dx p(x) dx wv Aerodynamic force acts through the center of pressure. Center of pressure moves with angle of attack cp {As an object moves through a fluid, the velocity of the fluid varies around the surface of the object. The variation of velocity produces a variation of pressure on the surface of the object as shown by the the thin red lines on the figure, Integrating the pressure times the surface area around the body determines the aerodynamic force on the object. We can consider this single force to act through the average location of the pressure on the surface of the object. We call the average location of the pressure variation the center of pressure in the same way that we call the average location of the weight of an object the center of gravity, The aerodynamic force can then be resolved into two components, lit and drag, which act through the ‘center of pressure in fight. Determining the center of pressure is very important for any fying object. To trim an airplane, or to provide stabilty for a model rocket or a kite, itis necessary to know the location of the center of pressure of the entire aircraft. How do engineers determine the location of the center of pressure for an aircraft which they are designing? In general, determining the center of pressure (ep) is a very complicated procedure because the pressure changes around the object. Determining the center of pressure requires the use of calculus and a knowledge of the pressure distribution ‘around the body. We can characterize the pressure variation around the surface as a function p(x) which indicates that the Pressure depends on the distance x from a reference line usually taken as the leading edge of the object, If we can determine the form of the function, there are methods to perform a calculus integration of the equation. We will use the ‘symbols "S| Jdx" to denote the integration of a continuous function. Then the center of pressure can be determined from: op = (Sx * plxl}ax)/ (Slp0x}4x) If we don't know the actual functional form. we can numerically intearate the equation usina a soreadshest by dividina the wn re.nasa. go WYK: irlanelep Mar weans Conte of Pressure distance into a number of small distance segments and determining the average value of the pressure over that small segment. Taking the sum of the average value times the distance times the distance segment divided by the sum of the ‘average value times the distance segment will produce the center of pressure. ‘There are several important problems to consider when determining the center of pressure for an aiff. As we change angle of attack, the pressure at every point on the airfoil changes. And, therafore, the location of the center of pressure changes {as well. The movement of the center of pressure caused a major problem for early airfoil designers because the amount (and sometimes the direction) of the movement was different for different designs. in general, the pressure variation around the airfl also imparts a torque, or “twisting force", to the airfoil. Ifa fying airfoil is not restrained in some way it will fip as it moves through the air. (As @ further complication, the center of pressure also moves because of viscosity and compressibility effects on the flow field. But let's save that discussion for another page.) To resolve some of these design problems, aeronautical engineers prefer to characterize the forces on an airfoil by the aerodynamic force, described above, coupled with an aerodynamic moment to account forthe torque. It was found both ‘experimentally and analytically that, ifthe aerodynamic force is applied at a location 1/4 chord back from the leading edge ‘on most low speed airfoils, the magnitude of the aerodynamic moment remains nearly constant with angle of attack Engineers call the location where the aerodynamic moment remains constant the aerodynamic center of the airfoil. Using the aerodynamic center as the location where the aerodynamic force is applied eliminates the problem of the movement of the center of pressure with angle of attack in aerodynamic analysis. (For supersonic airfolls, the aerodynamic center is nearer the 1/2 chord location.) ‘When computing the trim of an aircraft, model rocket, or kite, we usually apply the aerodynamic forces at the aerodynamic ‘center of airfoils and compute the center of pressure of the vehicle as an area-weighted average of the centers of the ‘components. Activities: Navigation SENT MCL [oir Tanne dex] Beginners Guide Home Page TRSTGOY © isis Speen Suny on S&S Sassen Nenaciaumakeevmt 2 octed pursuant to the No Fear Ad Last Updated: Apr 29 2010 + Buagets, strategic Plans and Accountabilty + Contact Glenn Reports + Freedom of information Act + The President's Management Agenda + NASA Privacy Statement, Disclaimer, ne Accessibilty Certification wn ge.nasa.goMVWWYWK-1irptanelp Mar