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How to Calculate a Bulkhead Lifting Force

A bulkhead is defined as a wall in an airplane that divides the vessel into compartments. Lifting force, meanwhile, is known as the sum of all forces expressed on a body as it moves in a direction perpendicular to that of flow. While today's air vessels are typically enclosed completely on all sides, earlier planes often featured a "skeleton" body. This meant that internal walls, such as the bulkhead, were exposed to lifting forces. Calculating lifting force provides an estimate of the amount of energy required to move planes with skeleton bodies and exposed bulkheads.

Things You'll Need

Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Identify the velocity of the airplane. Planes that are traveling at 60 meters per second would experience the following velocity: 60 * 60= 3,600 meters/minute.
- 2
  Relate the velocity of the airplane to the density of air. Most scientists agree that air has a density of 1.2 kilograms per cubic meter. When multiplied together, airplane velocity times air density equals 4,320.
- 3
  Multiply the number obtained in Step 2 by the total surface area of the bulkhead. If the bulkhead surface area is 100 square meters: 4,320 * 100= 432,000.
- 4
  Multiply the number obtained in Step 3 by the lift coefficient, which typically is about 0.2. Therefore, 432,000 * 0.2= 86,400 newtons.
- 5
  Interpret the final numbers. While 86,400 newtons may not seem like much, it is actually a substantial number. One newton is the amount of energy needed to move 1 kilogram a meter per second per second.

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