Parametric Analysis of an Active Winglet Concept for High Aspect Ratio Wing Using CFD/CSM Computations

This paper presents a parametric analysis of an active winglet concept applied to a high aspect ratio wing. The technology studied here only consists in a single degree of freedom wing-tip whose only the cant angle deflection can be controlled. The main parameters under study are the hinge line location and its orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. High-fidelity aerodynamic and structural computations are used to assess the impact of the device on both drag and loads. The influence of cant angle deflections on flutter characteristics is also evaluated. First a "wing only" configuration is studied and the results are compared with complete aircraft computations to take into account the contributions due to the trim. It is shown that the hinge line parameters highly influence the drag evolution with cant angle but with limited impact on the minimum area - in which we are interested in. Loads are significantly impacted by both cant variations and hinge line geometry. Regarding dynamic characteristics, the mode sequence is dependent on the cant deflection and massively impacts flutter onset