Project Title:

Suction Laminarization of Junctures in Laminar-Flow-Control Airplanes

02.02-7093
911115
Suction Laminarization of Junctures in Laminar-Flow-Control Airplanes
Analytical Services & Materials, Inc.
107 Research Drive
Hampton
VA
23666
Werner
Pfenninger
804-865-7093
LaRC
NAS1-19518
012

02.02-7093
911115

Abstract:

Suction Laminarization of Junctures in Laminar-Flow-Control Airplanes
The range of transport airplanes has increased during the past years. When laminar
flow is achieved over most of the aircraft surface, they will have even longer range.
This is because laminar-flow-control (LFC) will substantially raise the lift/drag
ratio in cruise.  This project will use distributed suction to maintain laminar flow
in the particularly critical juncture region between the wing and fuselage. In Phase
I, the feasibility of this approach will be evaluated computationally. For a given
wing-fuselage juncture configuration, boundary layer development and stability calculations
will be used to determine suction requirements to maintain laminar flow runs in the
juncture region. Configuration geometry tailoring in the juncture near the wing trailing
edge will achieve fuselage laminarization downstream of the wing trailing edge. Phase
I will evaluate the performance improvement due to suction and Phase II will conduct
a wind tunnel experiment to demonstrate the innovation.
This novel approach can be used to design junctures between various components in
LFC airplanes.
body-wing combination, LFC, Suction, L/D ration, aircraft range, high subsonic flow