Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft
Steady airflow over the wing of an aircraft in-flight is critical to achieving maximum aerodynamic performance. However, commercial flight routes are most times characterized by fluctuations in the airflow properties. The unsteadiness in the air velocity vectors and mass flow directly affects the ae...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2020-09-01
|
| Series: | Results in Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211379720317307 |
| _version_ | 1818024335143600128 |
|---|---|
| author | Chukwugozie Ejeh Imran Afgan Remilekun Shittu Alabi Sakirudeen Prosper Anumah |
| author_facet | Chukwugozie Ejeh Imran Afgan Remilekun Shittu Alabi Sakirudeen Prosper Anumah |
| author_sort | Chukwugozie Ejeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Steady airflow over the wing of an aircraft in-flight is critical to achieving maximum aerodynamic performance. However, commercial flight routes are most times characterized by fluctuations in the airflow properties. The unsteadiness in the air velocity vectors and mass flow directly affects the aerodynamic efficiency (AE) of the aircraft during flight and could lead to air accidents. These correlations between the variation in the airflow properties and the aerodynamic coefficients of a fixed-wing aircraft are not yet fully established. Therefore, this paper makes use of computational fluid dynamics code to study the link between these functions. Herein, a realistic wing model of the BOEING 737 aircraft was used for the investigation. Simulations were carried out at a Mach number of 0.84, with the nonzonal Hybrid RANS-LES method. The fluctuations in the airflow properties were modeled using the vortex fluctuation algorithm (vortex method) in Fluent software. The vortex number ,N formed in the flow field were varied in the range of 100–300. Findings from the numerical study revealed that the wing achieved an optimal AE of 95.1% for the steady case scenario. However, the wing’s AE was significantly reduced by 30% when the streamlined velocity was perturbed by the fluctuating velocity component of the flow. Also, a further decrease in the wing performance was observed with an increase in the divergence of the airflow velocity vectors which experienced a stalling effect after an 80 s flow period forN=300. Moreover, a static increase in the density of the airflow from 1.255 kg/m3 (15 °C) to 1.455 kg/m3 (−10 °C) contributed to approximately a 20% reduction in the lift and moment coefficients for N=300. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T03:58:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fae68630ca1840d38db799dc69fcde50 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-3797 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T03:58:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-fae68630ca1840d38db799dc69fcde502022-12-22T02:03:02ZengElsevierResults in Physics2211-37972020-09-0118103263Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraftChukwugozie Ejeh0Imran Afgan1Remilekun Shittu2Alabi Sakirudeen3Prosper Anumah4Advanced Digital & Additive Manufacturing Center, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, P.o Box 127788, United Arab Emirates; Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, P.o Box 127788, United Arab Emirates; Department of Oil and Gas Engineering, School of Engineering, All Nations University College, Koforidua, P.o Box KF1908 ER, Ghana; Corresponding author at: Advanced Digital & Additive Manufacturing Center, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, P.o Box 127788, United Arab Emirates.Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, P.o Box 127788, United Arab Emirates; Department of MACE, School of Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United KingdomDepartment of Civil Egineering, School of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, P.o Box 127788, United Arab Emirates; Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Agriculture, M.B 2240, Albata Road Abeokuta, Ogun State, NigeriaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, P.o Box 127788, United Arab Emirates; Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, P.M.B 13, NigeriaDepartment of Petroleum Engineering, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Brong Ahafo, P.o Box 214, Sunyani, GhanaSteady airflow over the wing of an aircraft in-flight is critical to achieving maximum aerodynamic performance. However, commercial flight routes are most times characterized by fluctuations in the airflow properties. The unsteadiness in the air velocity vectors and mass flow directly affects the aerodynamic efficiency (AE) of the aircraft during flight and could lead to air accidents. These correlations between the variation in the airflow properties and the aerodynamic coefficients of a fixed-wing aircraft are not yet fully established. Therefore, this paper makes use of computational fluid dynamics code to study the link between these functions. Herein, a realistic wing model of the BOEING 737 aircraft was used for the investigation. Simulations were carried out at a Mach number of 0.84, with the nonzonal Hybrid RANS-LES method. The fluctuations in the airflow properties were modeled using the vortex fluctuation algorithm (vortex method) in Fluent software. The vortex number ,N formed in the flow field were varied in the range of 100–300. Findings from the numerical study revealed that the wing achieved an optimal AE of 95.1% for the steady case scenario. However, the wing’s AE was significantly reduced by 30% when the streamlined velocity was perturbed by the fluctuating velocity component of the flow. Also, a further decrease in the wing performance was observed with an increase in the divergence of the airflow velocity vectors which experienced a stalling effect after an 80 s flow period forN=300. Moreover, a static increase in the density of the airflow from 1.255 kg/m3 (15 °C) to 1.455 kg/m3 (−10 °C) contributed to approximately a 20% reduction in the lift and moment coefficients for N=300.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211379720317307Airflow instabilityBOEING 737-800 aircraftHybrid RANS-LESWing performanceUnsteady aerodynamics |
| spellingShingle | Chukwugozie Ejeh Imran Afgan Remilekun Shittu Alabi Sakirudeen Prosper Anumah Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft Results in Physics Airflow instability BOEING 737-800 aircraft Hybrid RANS-LES Wing performance Unsteady aerodynamics |
| title | Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft |
| title_full | Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft |
| title_short | Investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft |
| title_sort | investigating the impact of velocity fluctuations and compressibility to aerodynamic efficiency of a fixed wing aircraft |
| topic | Airflow instability BOEING 737-800 aircraft Hybrid RANS-LES Wing performance Unsteady aerodynamics |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211379720317307 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chukwugozieejeh investigatingtheimpactofvelocityfluctuationsandcompressibilitytoaerodynamicefficiencyofafixedwingaircraft AT imranafgan investigatingtheimpactofvelocityfluctuationsandcompressibilitytoaerodynamicefficiencyofafixedwingaircraft AT remilekunshittu investigatingtheimpactofvelocityfluctuationsandcompressibilitytoaerodynamicefficiencyofafixedwingaircraft AT alabisakirudeen investigatingtheimpactofvelocityfluctuationsandcompressibilitytoaerodynamicefficiencyofafixedwingaircraft AT prosperanumah investigatingtheimpactofvelocityfluctuationsandcompressibilitytoaerodynamicefficiencyofafixedwingaircraft |