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Assisted high‐lift devices which are based on the removal or the addition of air jets from the flow over the wings may be classified as follows, in accordance with their method of operation:

This study aims to investigate the physical mechanisms of the use of active flow control (AFC) for a high-lift wing-flap configuration.

By means of high-fidelity numerical simulations, the flow dynamics around a high-lift wing-flap system at high Reynolds number (Re/c = 4.6 million) is studied. Adapted turbulence models based on the URANS approach are used to capture the flow separation and the subsequent development of coherent structures. The present study focuses on the use of AFC using a synthetic jet known as zero-net-mass-flux (ZNMF) using the blowing–suction approach. Different parameters (geometry, frequency and velocity) of a ZNMF placed at the cambered flap’s chord are optimized to obtain the most efficient parameter settings to suppress the flow separation.

A synthetic jet with the optimal shape and orientation enforces the flow reattachment on the wing-flap surface. This leads to an improvement of the aerodynamic performance of the system. The wake thickness was reduced by 30%, and an increase of 17.6% in lift-to-drag ratio was obtained. Concerning the ZNMF location, they should be installed upstream of the separation point to achieve the best performance.

The effectiveness of ZNMF devices integrated on a high-lift wing-flap configuration was studied in real flight conditions at high Reynolds number. A detailed analysis of the wake dynamics explains how AFC forces the reattachment of the boundary layer and attenuates the predominant wake instabilities up to −20 dB.

THE present conception of the air flow over aeroplane wings assumes that, in general, the flow pattern conforms closely to that of potential flow (i.e. the inviscid, incompressible flow of hydrodynamic theory) with the exception of a very thin layer of air which is in contact with the wing surface. This layer of fluid, the boundary layer, is characterized by the fact that all phenomena of viscosity (shear forces within the fluid) are restricted to it. Further, it is established that the lift is generated by a circulation about the aerofoil, and that stalling is a result of separation of the boundary layer from the wing surface at or near to the leading edge, with resulting vorticity over the dorsal wing surface, instead of an ordered flow with circulation. Thus at the stall, the circulation suffers a more or less complete breakdown.

The purpose of this study is to develop the concept of self-adapting system which would be able to control a flow on the wing-high-lift system and protect the flow against strong separation.

The self-adapting system has been developed based on computational approach. The computational studies have been conducted using the URANS solver. The experimental investigations have been conducted to verify the computational results.

The developed solution is controlled by closed-loop-control (CLC) system. As flow actuators, the main-wing trailing-edge nozzles are proposed. Based on signals received from the pressure sensors located at the flap trailing edge, the CLC algorithm changes the amount of air blown from the nozzles. The results of computational simulations confirmed good effectiveness and reliability of the developed system. These results have been partially confirmed by experimental investigations.

The presented research on an improvement of the effectiveness of high-lift systems of modern aircraft was conducted on the relatively lower level of the technology readiness. However, despite this limitation, the results of presented studies can provide a basis for developing innovative self-adaptive aerodynamic systems that potentially may be implemented in future aircrafts.

The studies on autonomous flow-separation control systems, operating in a closed feedback loop, are a great hope for significant advances in modern aeronautical engineering, also in the UAV area. The results of the presented studies can provide a basis for developing innovative self-adaptive aerodynamic systems at a higher level of technological readiness.

The presented approach is especially original and valuable in relation to the innovative concept of high-lift system supported by air-jets blown form the main-wing-trailing-edge nozzles; the effective and reliable flow sensors are the pressure sensors located at the flap trailing edge, and the effective and robust algorithm controlling the self-adapting aerodynamic system – original especially in respect to a strategy of deactivation of flow actuators.

The purpose of this paper is to study the predictability of the recently proposed length scale-based two-equation k-kL model for external aerodynamic flows such as those also encountered in the high-lift devices.

The two-equation k-kL model solves the transport equations of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and the product of TKE and the integral length scale to obtain the effect of turbulence on the mean flow field. In theory, the use of governing equation for length scale (kL) along with the TKE promises applicability in a wide range of applications in both free-shear and wall-bounded flows with eddy-resolving capability.

The model is implemented in the in-house unstructured grid computational fluid dynamics solver to investigate its performance for airfoils in difficult-to-predict situations, including stalling and separation. The numerical findings show the good capability of the model in handling the complex flow physics in the external aerodynamic computations.

The model performance is studied for stationary turbulent external aerodynamic flows, using five different airfoils, including two multi-element airfoils in high-lift configurations which, in the knowledge of the authors, have not been simulated with k-kL model until now.

This paper aims to achieve an optimum flow separation control over the airfoil using a passive flow control method by introducing a bio-inspired nose near the leading edge of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) 4 and 6 series airfoil. In addition, to find the optimised leading edge nose design for NACA 4 and 6 series airfoils for flow separation control.

Different bio-inspired noses that are inspired by the cetacean species have been analysed for different NACA 4 and 6 series airfoils. Bio-inspired nose with different nose length, nose depth and nose circle diameter have been analysed on airfoils with different thicknesses, camber and camber locations to understand the aerodynamic flow properties such as vortex formation, flow separation, aerodynamic efficiency and moment.

The porpoise nose design that has a leading edge with depth = 2.25% of chord, length = 0.75% of chord and nose diameter = 2% of chord, delays the flow separation and improves the aerodynamic efficiency. Average increments of 5.5% to 6° in the lift values and decrements in parasitic drag (without affecting the pitching moment) for all the NACA 4 and 6 series airfoils were observed irrespective of airfoil geometry such as different thicknesses, camber and camber location.

The two-dimensional computational analysis is done for different NACA 4 and 6 series airfoils at low subsonic speed.

This design improves aerodynamic performance and increases the structural strength of the aircraft wing compared to other conventional high lift devices and flow control devices. This universal leading edge flow control device can be adapted to aircraft wings incorporated with any NACA 4 and 6 series airfoil.

The results would be of significant interest in the fields of aircraft design and wind turbine design, lowering the cost of energy and air travel for social benefits.

Different bio-inspired nose designs that are inspired by the cetacean species have been analysed for NACA 4 and 6 series airfoils and universal optimum nose design (porpoise airfoil) is found for NACA 4 and 6 series airfoils.

A SPANWISE rotating cylinder placed at a suitable location in an aerofoil with the cylinder's upper surface moving rearwards in the direction of the local air flow can serve to re‐energize the boundary layer on the aerofoil. For example, when placed between a flap and a wing with the cylinder protruding substantially into the air flow as shown schematically in no. 1, the moving surface of the cylinder destroys, by viscous shear action, the low‐energy boundary layer impinging on the cylinder from the wing and results in a new boundary layer on the flap's upper surface which has a higher energy level adequate to negotiate the adverse pressure gradients and flow conditions existing at the rear of a flap deflected through a large angle. The boundary layer re‐energizing function of the cylinder depends on its upward protrusion, on its peripheral speed, and on the local flap geometry. The beneficial effects of the rotating cylinder on the flow fields have been visualized in two dimensional smoke studies conducted by Alvarez Caldcrón and Arnold of Stanford University on a flap designed for deflected slipstream V/S.T.O.L. aircraft. Fig. 2 shows flow around the flap with the cylinder stationary. It exhibits complete flow separation at the flap which is also typical of a slotted flap deflected through a large angle. The large white disk is a cylinder end plate; the actual cylinder appears in the darker circular shade of small diameter. The photograph of FIG. 3 was taken with the cylinder rotating: it shows a radical flow change not only in the total elimination of flow separation on the flap but in the induction of strong upwash fields and low pressure regions toward the leading edge of wing itself which obviously greatly increases lift and decreases wing pitching moments.

IN the tailless aeroplane, side‐slip motions during take‐off and landing manoeuvres are specially undesirable, since it tends to be deficient in lateral stability, as we have seen. Hence, arrangements which provide for early compensation of unintentional side‐slipping may have some justification.

WRITING an introduction to an article by Mr S. B. Gates on Trailing‐Edge Flaps, which appeared in these columns in 1937, the Editor felt constrained to admit his bewilderment over the number and variety of types of high‐lift aid which then existed. Without intending any disrespect, I imagine that the progress of years must have added to his embarrassment. It has certainly added to the number of devices in use and under test.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the pre‐design and sizing of a smart leading edge section which is developed in the project SADE (Smart High Lift Devices for Next Generation Wings), which is part of the seventh framework program of the EU.

The development of morphing technologies in SADE concentrates on the leading and trailing edge high‐lift devices. At the leading edge a smart gap and step‐less droop nose device is developed. For the landing flap a smart trailing edge of the flap is in the focus of the research activities. The main path in SADE follows the development of the leading edge section and the subsequent wind tunnel testing of a five meter span full‐scale section with a chord length of three meters in the wind tunnel T‐101 at the Russian central aero‐hydrodynamic institute (TsAGI) in Moscow.

The presented paper gives an overview over the desired performance and requirements of a smart leading edge device, its aerodynamic design for the wind tunnel tests and the structural pre‐design and sizing of the full‐scale leading edge section which will be tested in the wind tunnel.

SADE aims at a major step forward in the development and evaluation of the potential of morphing airframe technologies.