Arbitrary motion aerodynamics using an aeroacoustic approach

This paper describes a new unsteady aerodynamics method that uses time-domain aeroacoustic integral equations. Recent advances in theoretical aeroacoustics permit the development of general unsteady aerodynamics methods. The effects of thickness, compressibility, and arbitrary motions may be calculated for subsonic and supersonic flows. Most linearized unsteady aerodynamics methods today are limited to zero-thickness airfoils and sinusoidal motions. The method outlined in this report has applications to super-maneuverable aircraft and rotating blades. Panel methods for steady aerodynamics are widely used in the aircraft industry for steady flow, and the present method should permit equally general configurations to be solved in unsteady motion using a time-stepping procedure.