An investigation of surfactant and enzyme formulations for the alleviation of insect contamination on Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) surfaces

Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) is an active drag reduction technique that requires a small amount of air to be sucked through a porous skin surface, thus stabilising the boundary layer and permitting extended laminar flow along the wing surface. Contamination of the laminar flow surfaces by inse...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aerospace science and technology 2002, Vol.6 (1), p.19-29
Main Authors: O'Donoghue, D, Young, T.M, Pembroke, J.T, O'Dwyer, T.F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air transportation and traffic
Applied sciences
Enzyme
Exact sciences and technology
Flow control
Fluid dynamics
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction
HLFC
Insect contamination
Physics
Surfactant
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Summary:Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) is an active drag reduction technique that requires a small amount of air to be sucked through a porous skin surface, thus stabilising the boundary layer and permitting extended laminar flow along the wing surface. Contamination of the laminar flow surfaces by insects is a major concern for this technology. An overview of insect contamination and mitigating solutions is provided as background to research undertaken. The paper reports on an experimental investigation into the potential use of surfactants and enzymes as additives to contamination alleviation fluids. It was demonstrated that both approaches have merit. It is concluded that the use of fluorosurfactant containing solutions is preferable to enzyme borne solutions, partly due to the need to control the temperature of the enzyme solution.
ISSN:1270-9638
1626-3219
DOI:10.1016/S1270-9638(01)01141-5