Active flow control systems architectures for civil transport aircraft

Copyright @ 2010 American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsThis paper considers the effect of choice of actuator technology and associated power systems architecture on the mass cost and power consumption of implementing active flow control systems on civil transport aircraft. The research method is based on the use of a mass model that includes a mass due to systems hardware and a mass due to the system energy usage. An Airbus A320 aircraft wing is used as a case-study application. The mass model parameters are based on first-principle physical analysis of electric and pneumatic power systems combined with empirical data on system hardware from existing equipment suppliers. Flow control methods include direct fluidic, electromechanical-fluidic, and electrofluidic actuator technologies. The mass cost of electrical power distribution is shown to be considerably less than that for pneumatic systems; however, this advantage is reduced by the requirement for relatively heavy electrical power management and conversion systems. A tradeoff exists between system power efficiency and the system hardware mass required to achieve this efficiency. For short-duration operation the flow control solution is driven toward lighter but less power-efficient systems, whereas for long-duration operation there is benefit in considering heavier but more efficient systems. It is estimated that a practical electromechanical-fluidic system for flow separation control may have a mass up to 40% of the slat mass for a leading-edge application and 5% of flap mass for a trailing-edge application.This work is funded by the Sixth European Union Framework Programme as part of the AVERT project (Contract No. AST5-CT-2006-030914

Note on the results of some profile drag calculations for a particular body of revolution at supersonic speeds

Details additional to those discussed in College of Aeronautics Report No. 73 are given of the method developed for the calculation of the profile drag of bodies of revolution at supersonic speeds and zero incidence. The method has been applied to a particular body of fineness ratio 7.5 (see Fig. 1) for Mach numbers ranging from 1.5 to 5.0, Reynolds numbers ranging from 106 to 108 and transition positions ranging from the nose to the tail end of the body. The calculations assume zero heat transfer. The results indicate that the overall difference in profile drag between fully laminar and fully turbulent flow decreases rapidly with mainstream Mach number and rather more rapidly than does the corresponding difference for a flat plate, and at Mach numbers greater than about 2 the profile drag of the body with fully turbulent flow is less than that of a flat plate (Fig. 14)

High lift INflight VAlidation (HINVA) - Overview about the 1st Flight Test Campaign

The present contribution provides an overview about low speed high lift flight tests on an Airbus A320 embedded in the joint LuFo IV research project HINVA. The overall project objective is to significantly enhance the accuracy and reliability of the prediction of maximum lift for commercial aircraft. The flight test campaign described in the paper is the first one of two campaigns, scheduled within the project HINVA. DLR’s Airbus A320-232 D-ATRA is the target flight test aircraft configuration. According to the overall objective, most of the flight tests have been conducted with the high lift devices deployed to landing setting. For the A320 aircraft version under consideration, which is equipped with IAE V2500 engines, this corresponds to a slat and flap setting of s = 27° and f = 40°, respectively. In order to analyze a significantly different low speed flight regime and stall behavior, also the clean configuration has been flight-tested, but to a lesser extent. The test schedule covers a mix of stalls and stabilized conditions in flight altitudes between 8,000 ft. and 19,000 ft. The first flight test campaign took place in the summer of 2012 at Airbus in Toulouse after the final working party for the equipment of the flight test instrumentation (FTI). The focus of the FTI for the first test campaign has been laid on surface measurements. During the 8 sorties of the test campaign, static and dynamic pressures have been recorded in five spanwise sections on the high lift wing and its elements, as well as in two sections of the horizontal stabilizer. Wing and flap deformation is measured by a multiple camera system observing markers and utilizing the image pattern correlation technique. In two sections of the high lift wing, laminar to turbulent transition is detected by hot film sensors. The stall behavior is monitored by flow visualization using the same cameras system installed in the cabin, and flow cones on the upper surface of the wing and inboard parts of pylon and nacelle. After a brief introduction to the project, the aircraft configuration and the flight test schedule are outlined. The flight test instrumentation and the set-up on the specific aircraft are briefly described. Along with the description of the flight test instrumentation, selected results of the single measurement techniques are presented