The component of the force in the direction of the flow is always zero. Some elementary notions of Fluid Mechanics are recalled to fully understand the solution method. Examples of elementary irrotational flows Some simple analytic solutions of irrotional plane flows are shown. The superposition of these simple solutions allows for the study of more complex flows. Flow around a cylinder The irrotional flow around a cylinder is analysed in terms of flow and pressure fields.
Some animations show how the solution is affected by changing the circulation around the cylinder.
The conformal transformation due to Joukowski is able to transform the flow domain around a cylinder into the flow domain around a Joukowski wing profile. An interactive application allows the user to experiment with the parameters of the transformation creating different wing profiles. The irrotational flow around a wing is analysed in terms of flow and pressure fields. Some animations show how the solution is affected by changing the angle of attack of the wing. A sequential browsing of the various pages is suggested, at least for first time visitors.