Force on a unit cylinder due to a uniform flow and an external source

ID: force-on-a-unit-cylinder-due-to-a-uniform-flow-and-an-external-source

In a planar potential flow, superpose a positive- uniform flow of speed and a line source of strength at the real point . Introduce an impermeable unit circular cylinder with zero circulation. The Milne-Thomson circle theorem gives the complex potential of a two-dimensional potential flow
The displayed horizontal force per unit length acts on the cylinder, and by reflection symmetry. To prove it, let be the complex velocity. At infinity, , so the sum of all finite residues of is . At the external pole , write ; then
The residue theorem and the counterclockwise Blasius force theorem give , proving the formula. With and , its sign changes at .

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