Evaluation of the Theory for the Flow Pattern of a Hydrofoil of Finite Span
Expressions for various properties of the flow field aft of a finite-span hydrofoil in smooth water are presented and discussed in this paper. Potential functions for the motion that have been derived previously on the basis of linearized free-surface theory serve as the basic terms from which the flow field is derived. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional theories are used, and the expressions derived for the surface-wave elevation and downwash from the various theories are compared with experimental values. As a result of this study, it is shown that three-dimensional effects are of great importance and hence terms derived from the two-dimensional theory do not accurately represent the true flow properties. Recommended formulas, whose validity is demonstrated by the comparison with the limited data presented herein, are given for the evaluation of both the surface-wave amplitude and downwash.