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Article
Publication date: 3 January 2017

Mojtaba Tahani, Mehran Masdari and Ali Bargestan

This paper aims to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics as well as static stability of wing-in-ground effect aircraft. The effect of geometrical characteristics, namely…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics as well as static stability of wing-in-ground effect aircraft. The effect of geometrical characteristics, namely, twist angle, dihedral angle, sweep angle and taper ratio are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic code is developed to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of the effect. The turbulent model is utilized for characterization of flow over wing surface.

Findings

The numerical results show that the maximum change of the drag coefficient depends on the angle of attack, twist angle and ground clearance, in a decreasing order. Also, it is found that the lift coefficient increases as the ground clearance, twist angle and dihedral angle decrease. On the other hand, the sweep angle does not have a significant effect on the lift coefficient for the considered wing section and Reynolds number. Also, as the aerodynamic characteristics increase, the taper ratio befits in trailing state.

Practical implications

To design an aircraft, the effect of each design parameter needs to be estimated. For this purpose, the sensitivity analysis is used. In this paper, the influence of all parameter against each other including ground clearance, angle of attack, twist angle, dihedral angle and sweep angle for the NACA 6409 are investigated.

Originality/value

As a summary, the contribution of this paper is to predict the aerodynamic performance for the cruise condition. In this study, the sensitivity of the design parameter on aerodynamic performance can be estimated and the effect of geometrical characteristics has been investigated in detail. Also, the best lift to drag coefficient for the NACA 6409 wing section specifies and two types of taper ratios in ground effect are compared.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 89 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2021

Mohamed Arif Raj Mohamed, Rajesh Yadav and Ugur Guven

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…

Abstract

Purpose

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.

Design/methodology/approach

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.

Findings

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.

Research limitations/implications

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

Practical implications

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.

Social implications

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.

Originality/value

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.

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Harijono Djojodihardjo, Riyadh Ibraheem Ahmed, Abd Rahim Abu Talib and Azmin Shakrine Mohd Rafie

The purpose of this paper is to reformulate the governing equations incorporating major variables and parameters for the design a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), to meet the desired…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reformulate the governing equations incorporating major variables and parameters for the design a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), to meet the desired mission and design requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

Mathematical models for various spherical and cylindrical Coandă MAV configurations were rederived from first principles, and the performance measures were defined. To verify the theoretical prediction to a certain extent, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation for a Coandă MAV generic models was performed.

Findings

The major variables and parameters of Coandă MAV have been formulated into practical guidelines, which relate the lift (or thrust) produced for certain input variables, particularly the Coandă MAV jet momentum coefficient. The influences of the geometrical parameters are elaborated.

Research limitations/implications

The present analysis on Coandă jet-configured MAV is focused on the lift generation due to the Coandă jet effect through a meticulous analysis. The effects of viscosity, the Coandă jet thickness, the radius of curvature of the surface and the stability of Coandă jet are not considered and will be the subject of the following work.

Practical implications

The results obtained can be used for sizing in the preliminary design of Coandă MAVs.

Originality/value

Physical and mathematical models were developed which can describe the physical phenomena of the flow field near the Coandă MAV surfaces influenced by Coandă jet sheets and for obtaining a relationship between relevant variables and parameters to the lift of practical interest.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 89 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 June 2019

Mohamed Arif Raj Mohamed, Ugur Guven and Rajesh Yadav

The purpose of this paper is to achieve an optimum flow separation control over the airfoil using passive flow control method by introducing bio-inspired nose near the leading…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to achieve an optimum flow separation control over the airfoil using passive flow control method by introducing bio-inspired nose near the leading edge of the NACA 2412 airfoil.

Design/methodology/approach

Two distinguished methods have been implemented on the leading edge of the airfoil: forward facing step, which induces multiple accelerations at low angle of attack, and cavity/backward facing step, which creates recirculating region (axial vortices) at high angle of attack.

Findings

The porpoise airfoil (optimum bio-inspired nose airfoil) delays the flow separation and improves the aerodynamic efficiency by increasing the lift and decreasing the parasitic drag. The maximum increase in aerodynamic efficiency is 22.4 per cent, with an average increase of 8.6 per cent at all angles of attack.

Research limitations/implications

The computational analysis has been done for NACA 2412 airfoil at low subsonic speed.

Practical implications

This design improves the aerodynamic performance and increases structural strength of the aircraft wing compared to other conventional high-lift devices and flow-control devices.

Originality/value

Different bio-inspired nose designs which are inspired by the cetacean species have been analysed for NACA 2412 airfoil, and optimum nose design (porpoise airfoil) has been found.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 91 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2019

Zhongcheng Wei, Jingxia Zhan, Xi He and Jinjun Wang

The purpose of this paper is to mount Gurney flaps at the trailing edges of the canards and investigate their influence on aerodynamic characteristics of a simplified…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to mount Gurney flaps at the trailing edges of the canards and investigate their influence on aerodynamic characteristics of a simplified canard-configuration aircraft model.

Design/methodology/approach

A force measurement experiment was conducted in a low-speed wind tunnel. Hence, the height and shape effects of the Gurney flaps on the canards were investigated.

Findings

Gurney flaps can increase the lift and pitching-up moment for the aircraft model tested, thereby increasing the lift when trimming the aircraft. The dominant parameter to influence aerodynamic characteristics is the height of Gurney flaps. When the flap heights are the same, the aerodynamic efficiency of the triangular Gurney flaps is higher than that of the rectangular ones. Moreover, the canard deflection efficiency will be reduced with Gurney flaps equipped, but the total aerodynamic increment is considerable.

Practical implications

This paper helps to solve the key technical problem of increasing take-off and landing lift coefficients, thus improving the aerodynamic performance of the canard-configuration aircraft.

Originality/value

This paper recommends to adopt triangular Gurney flaps with the height of 3 per cent chord length of the canard root (c) for engineering application.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 91 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 January 2015

Adnan Maqsood and Tiauw Hiong Go

The purpose of this paper is to describe the research performed on flexible-wing micro air vehicle (MAV). Typical attributes associated with the aerodynamics of MAVs are low…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the research performed on flexible-wing micro air vehicle (MAV). Typical attributes associated with the aerodynamics of MAVs are low Reynolds number, low altitude flying environments and low aspect ratio platforms. These attributes give birth to several challenges such as poor aerodynamic performance, nonlinear lift patterns and reduced gust tolerance. Flexible-wing MAV is renowned for improved aerodynamic characteristics such as smooth flight in gusty conditions than its rigid-wing counterpart.

Design/methodology/approach

The wind-tunnel experiments are carried out for various configurations to determine the ways of further enhancing lift. The baseline geometric description for all MAVs includes 15-cm box dimension and an aspect ratio of 1. The experimental results of the baseline configuration are compared with other experimental results available in literature. After due validation, the effects of following parameters are quantized and compared with the rigid-wing counterpart: underlying skeleton; wing membrane extension; wing membrane relaxation; and wing membrane material (latex, silk, poly-vinyl chloride plastic sheet and nylon).

Findings

It is found that the skeleton layout significantly governs the lift characteristics. The effect of membrane extension and relaxation proved to be of little advantage. Latex sheets are found to be the best choice for membrane material. The aerodynamic assessment at low Reynolds number has demonstrated significant improvement of lift characteristics for flexible wings over rigid-wing counterparts.

Research limitations/implications

The results presented in this paper are based on wind-tunnel experimentation. Further experimentation through flight test may be needed to reveal the true aerodynamic performance under unsteady maneuvers.

Practical implications

The material properties vary significantly during fabrication. A technique to standardize the properties of flexible membranes is a missing link in literature and warrants further investigation.

Originality/value

This concept of flexible wing has shown high potential. The primary objective of this paper is to experimentally investigate ways of further enhancing the lift of flexible-wing MAVs by controlling flexibility passively. While various researchers have spent many years on developing the optimum wing frame for the flexible wing, research on different wing materials has been limited. This is the first paper of its kind covering all aspects of wing-frame design, material, effects of extension and relaxation on wing membrane.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, vol. 87 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2022

Jeena Joseph, Sathyabhama A. and Surya Sridhar

With aims to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of aerodynamic surfaces, study on flow control over these surfaces has gained importance. With the addition of flow control…

Abstract

Purpose

With aims to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of aerodynamic surfaces, study on flow control over these surfaces has gained importance. With the addition of flow control devices such as synthetic jets and vortex generators, the flow characteristics can be modified over the surface and, at the same time, enhance the performance of the body. One such flow control device is the tubercle. Inspired by the humpback whale’s flippers, these leading-edge serrations have improved the aerodynamic efficiency and the lift characteristics of airfoils and wings. This paper aims to discusses in detail the flow physics associated with tubercles and their effect on swept wings.

Design/methodology/approach

This study involves a series of experimental and numerical analyses that have been performed on four different wing configurations, with four different sweep angles corresponding to 0°, 10°, 20° and 30° at a low Reynolds number corresponding to Rec=100,000.

Findings

Results indicate that the effect of tubercles diminishes with an increase in wing sweep. A significant performance enhancement was observed in the stall and post-stall regions. The addition of tubercles led to a smooth post-stall lift characteristic compared to the sudden loss in the lift with regular wings. Among the four different wings under observation, it was found that tubercles were most effective on the 0° configuration (no sweep), showing a 10.8% increment in maximum lift and a 38.5% increase in the average lift generated in the post-stall region. Tubercles were least effective on 30° configuration. Furthermore, with an increase in wing sweep, co-rotating vortices were distinctly observed rather than counter-rotating vortices.

Originality/value

While extensive numerical and experimental studies have been performed on straight wings with tubercles, studies on the tubercle effect on swept wings at low Reynolds number are minimal and mainly experimental in nature. This study uses numerical methods to explore the complex flow physics associated with tubercles and their implementation on swept wings. This study can be used as an introductory study to implement passive flow control devices in the low Reynolds number regime.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 94 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Heribert Bieler

Aerodynamics drives the aircraft performance and, thus, influences fuel consumption and environmental compatibility. Further, optimization of aerodynamic shapes is an ongoing…

Abstract

Purpose

Aerodynamics drives the aircraft performance and, thus, influences fuel consumption and environmental compatibility. Further, optimization of aerodynamic shapes is an ongoing design activity in industrial offices; this will lead to incremental improvements. More significant step changes in performance are not expected from pure passive shape design. However, active flow control is a key technology, which has the potential to realize a drastic step change in performance. Flow control targets two major goals: low speed performance enhancements mainly for start and landing phase via control of separation and drag reduction at high speed conditions via skin friction and shock wave control.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper highlights flow control concepts and Airbus involvements for both items. To mature flow control systematically, local applications of separation control technology are of major importance for Airbus. In parallel, but at lower maturity level, investigations are ongoing to reduce the turbulent skin friction at cruise. A popular concept to delay separation at low speed conditions is the implementation of jet actuation control systems flush mounted to the wall of aerodynamic components.

Findings

In 2006, DLR (in collaboration with universities Berlin, Braunschweig and industrial partner Airbus) started to study active flow control for separation delay towards application. Based on basic proof of concepts (achieved in national projects), further flow control hardware developments and wind tunnel and lab testing took place in European funded projects.

Originality/value

Significant lift enhancements were realized via flow control applied to the wing leading edge and the flap.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 89 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 December 2019

Aslesha Bodavula, Rajesh Yadav and Ugur Guven

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of surface protrusions on the flow unsteadiness of NACA 0012 at a Reynolds number of 100,000.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of surface protrusions on the flow unsteadiness of NACA 0012 at a Reynolds number of 100,000.

Design/methodology/approach

Effect of protrusions is investigated through numerical simulation of two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations using a finite volume solver. Turbulent stresses are resolved through the transition Shear stress transport (four-equation) turbulence model.

Findings

The small protrusion located at 0.05c and 0.1c significantly improve the lift coefficient by up to 36% in the post-stall regime. It also alleviates the leading edge stall. The larger protrusions increase the drag significantly along with significant degradation of lift characteristics in the pre-stall regime as well. The smaller protrusions also increase the frequency of the vortex shedding.

Originality/value

The effect of macroscopic protrusions or deposits in rarely investigated. The delay in stall shown by smaller protrusions can be beneficial to micro aerial vehicles. The smaller protrusions increase the frequency of the vortex shedding, and hence, can be used as a tool to enhance energy production for energy harvesters based on vortex-induced vibrations and oscillating wing philosophy.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 92 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Keyu Chen, Beiyu You, Yanbo Zhang and Zhengyi Chen

Prefabricated building has been widely applied in the construction industry all over the world, which can significantly reduce labor consumption and improve construction…

Abstract

Purpose

Prefabricated building has been widely applied in the construction industry all over the world, which can significantly reduce labor consumption and improve construction efficiency compared with conventional approaches. During the construction of prefabricated buildings, the overall efficiency largely depends on the lifting sequence and path of each prefabricated component. To improve the efficiency and safety of the lifting process, this study proposes a framework for automatically optimizing the lifting path of prefabricated building components using building information modeling (BIM), improved 3D-A* and a physic-informed genetic algorithm (GA).

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, the industry foundation class (IFC) schema for prefabricated buildings is established to enrich the semantic information of BIM. After extracting corresponding component attributes from BIM, the models of typical prefabricated components and their slings are simplified. Further, the slings and elements’ rotations are considered to build a safety bounding box. Secondly, an efficient 3D-A* is proposed for element path planning by integrating both safety factors and variable step size. Finally, an efficient GA is designed to obtain the optimal lifting sequence that satisfies physical constraints.

Findings

The proposed optimization framework is validated in a physics engine with a pilot project, which enables better understanding. The results show that the framework can intuitively and automatically generate the optimal lifting path for each type of prefabricated building component. Compared with traditional algorithms, the improved path planning algorithm significantly reduces the number of nodes computed by 91.48%, resulting in a notable decrease in search time by 75.68%.

Originality/value

In this study, a prefabricated component path planning framework based on the improved A* algorithm and GA is proposed for the first time. In addition, this study proposes a safety-bounding box that considers the effects of torsion and slinging of components during lifting. The semantic information of IFC for component lifting is enriched by taking into account lifting data such as binding positions, lifting methods, lifting angles and lifting offsets.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

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