Experimental Investigation of Wing-Tip Devices on the Reduction of Induced Drag

Wind tunnel testing was carried out to evaluate the reduction of induced drag using wing-tip blowing, fixed and adaptive multi-winglets. Different arrangements of each device were tested on a semi-span wing, with additional investigations performed on a half-body model of a trainer aircraft. Results...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of aircraft 2013-03, Vol.50 (2), p.441-449
Main Authors: Céron-Muñoz, H. D, Cosin, R, Coimbra, R. F. F, Correa, L. G. N, Catalano, F. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerodynamic coefficients
Aerodynamics
Aircraft
Alternative energy sources
Applied fluid mechanics
Blowing
Devices
Exact sciences and technology
Flow control
Fluid dynamics
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Induced drag
Physics
Pressure distribution
Reduction
Wind tunnels
Wings (aircraft)
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Summary:Wind tunnel testing was carried out to evaluate the reduction of induced drag using wing-tip blowing, fixed and adaptive multi-winglets. Different arrangements of each device were tested on a semi-span wing, with additional investigations performed on a half-body model of a trainer aircraft. Results include: aerodynamic coefficients; surface pressure distributions; and wake surveys with a multi-hole Pitot probe. The influence of each wing-tip arrangement on aircraft performance was estimated, considering the energy requirements of the blowing system. All devices tested were able to minimize induced drag; however, for practical applications in commercial airplanes, multi-winglets are a more promising alternative due to the large amount of energy required by wing-tip blowing.
ISSN:0021-8669
1533-3868
DOI:10.2514/1.C031862