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Laminarization of commercial aircraft surfaces is the most promising technology to reduce fuel consumption and ecological impact. As laminar flow highly depends on cross-flow effects, there is the question in which way simple estimations and simplifications for application in conceptual aircraft design can be used to capture these cross-flow influences. This paper aims to show the accuracy of 2D methods for estimating laminar flow regions on 3D wing objects.

Several methods, relating 3D and 2D flow conditions, are analyzed with regard to capture cross-flow influences. The 3D pressure distributions depending on utilized transformation method are compared to Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solutions. With the most precise transformation method, the laminar flow area on a conventional wing of a short range aircraft is determined and compared to the laminar area obtained with the RANS pressure distributions as input. Further, hybrid laminar flow control component sizing is carried out to obtain the net benefit in fuel reduction of simplified method compared to RANS method for a conventional short range aircraft.

In this particular case, the solutions calculated with the simplified methods show high deviations from those obtained with RANS.

This investigation underlines the need of proper methods for fast and accurate estimation of cross-flow effects to be able to assess the full potential of laminar flow control within conceptual aircraft design.

This research aims to present an aero-propulsive interaction model applied to conceptual aircraft design with distributed electric propulsion (DeP). The developed model includes a series of electric ducted fans integrated into the wing upper trailing edge, taking into account the effect of boundary layer ingestion (BLI). The developed model aims to estimate the aerodynamic performance of the wing with DeP using an accurate low-order computational model, which can be easily used in the overall aircraft design's optimization process.

First, the ducted fan aerodynamic performance is investigated using a low-order computational model over a range of angle of attack required for conventional flight based on ducted fan design code program and analytical models. Subsequently, the aero-propulsive coupling with the wing is introduced. The DeP location chordwise is placed at the wing's trailing edge to have the full benefits of the BLI. After that, the propulsion integration process is introduced. The nacelle design's primary function is to minimize the losses due to distortion. Finally, the aerodynamic forces of the overall configuration are estimated based on Athena Vortex Lattice program and the developed ducted fan model.

The ducted fan model is validated with experimental measurements from the literature. Subsequently, the overall model, the wing with DeP, is validated with experimental measurements and computational fluid dynamics, both from the literature. The results reveal that the currently developed model successfully estimates the aerodynamic performance of DeP located at the wing trailing edge.

The developed model's value is to capture the aero-propulsive coupling accurately and fast enough to execute multiple times in the overall aircraft design's optimization loop without increasing runtime substantially.