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 | | From: | Aeroengineer | | Subject: | Center of pressure vs. aerodynamic center | | Date: | Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:49:49 -0800 |
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There is a pressure distribution around an airfoil. Summation of this
pressure distribution over entire surface of the airfoil results in the
aerodynamic force. However, this pressure distribution also generates
aerodynamic moment around any arbitrary point on the chordline. But
there is a single point on the chordline where sum of the moments of
distributed pressure forces is equal to zero. This point is called the
center of pressure. Location of the center of pressure changes with the
angle of attack.
There is also another point on the chordline, where sum of the moments
of distributed pressure forces is not zero, but stays constant even if
the angle of attack is changed. This pointy is called the aerodynamic
center. The distance of the aerodynamic center from the leading edge is
about 25% of the chord for almost all subsonic airfoils. For supersonic
airfoils, this distance is about 50% of the chord.
Hope this explanation helps you.
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