Wing shape control on the D150 model with aspect ratio tradeoffs for fuel efficiency improvement

ifasd2024 Tracking Number 10

In the scope of FLIPASED (Flight Phase Adaptive Aero-Servo-Elastic Aircraft Design Methods) project, this work focus on wing shape control on the D150 model with the primary goal of enhancing fuel efficiency. The model represents a market-demanding short-tomedium-range aircraft type. Throughout the aircraft's mission, the fuel stored in the wing is gradually consumed, leading to changing wing loading and varying lift distributions due to aeroelastic effects. Typically, wings are designed for intermediate mass cases. As a result, the aerodynamics of the aircraft during off-design mass conditions are suboptimal. Wing shape control plays a crucial role in such scenarios, restoring optimal lift distribution via trailing edge control surfaces and thereby improving overall aerodynamic performance. For an accurate assessment of wing shape control effects, it is essential to model drag. Given the imperative for swift calculations in the MDO process, following potential theory-based methods are employed. a. Vortex Lattice Method (VLM) based near-field implementation: AVL, serving as a aerodynamic solver, is coupled with the MSC.Nastran structural solver to account for aeroelastic effects. b. Doublet Lattice Method (DLM) based far-field implementation: The induced drag is computed on the Trefftz plane situated downstream of the aircraft, using the span-wise lift distribution which is derived from MSC.Nastran and projected onto the Trefftz plane. c. 3D Panel Method based implementation: In contrast to the VLM/DLM methods mentioned earlier, which model the wing as a flat panel, the software Panukl models the wing using a 3D panel geometry, which can account for camber, jig twist, and thickness. Furthermore, aircraft with varying aspect ratios (AR), spanning from 9.4 (baseline case) to 18.4, will be investigated, to assess the drag reduction impact in both the current aircraft configuration and potential future high AR wings. The assessment will extend to the evaluation of aircraft range to demonstrate improvements in fuel efficiency. The preliminary results indicate a potential 2% drag reduction for the baseline model. Given the increased flexibility in high AR wings, it is expected that the impact could be even more pronounced. Consequently, wing shape control emerges as a crucial solution for the near-term enhancement of the current aircraft configuration without necessitating significant structural or aerodynamic design changes. This becomes particularly relevant in light of growing concerns about the climate impact of the aviation sector and the pressing need for immediate actions to curb CO2 emissions.