TY - GEN
T1 - Aerodynamic design considerations for tiltrotor wing extensions and winglets
AU - Cole, Julia A.
AU - Maughmer, Mark D.
AU - Bramesfeld, Goetz
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Wing extensions and winglets have the potential to reduce the induced drag on tiltrotor wings, as they operate at relatively high lift coeffcients. To investigate this potential, the aerodynamics of the wing-proprotor system were explored for two cases - a planar wing and a wing with a winglet. For each case, a theoretical ideal loading condition was identified both with and without proprotor effects. The ideal loading condition was achieved through twisting the wing, and the resulting performance characteristics were evaluated using a recently modified, higher order, vortex-lattice code. Proprotor effects significantly altered both ideal loading conditions, and the twist distributions required to achieve them. The performance of the designs were then compared under different modeling assumptions within the analysis code. The span effciencies of the ideally twisted designs were significantly higher when single-sided interaction was assumed, as compared to full interaction. Modeling with wake relaxation had very little effect on lift distributions, but had an effect on span effciencies, specifically in the winglet case. The investigation provided valuable insights into the aerodynamic complexities of designing wing extensions and winglets for tiltrotors.
AB - Wing extensions and winglets have the potential to reduce the induced drag on tiltrotor wings, as they operate at relatively high lift coeffcients. To investigate this potential, the aerodynamics of the wing-proprotor system were explored for two cases - a planar wing and a wing with a winglet. For each case, a theoretical ideal loading condition was identified both with and without proprotor effects. The ideal loading condition was achieved through twisting the wing, and the resulting performance characteristics were evaluated using a recently modified, higher order, vortex-lattice code. Proprotor effects significantly altered both ideal loading conditions, and the twist distributions required to achieve them. The performance of the designs were then compared under different modeling assumptions within the analysis code. The span effciencies of the ideally twisted designs were significantly higher when single-sided interaction was assumed, as compared to full interaction. Modeling with wake relaxation had very little effect on lift distributions, but had an effect on span effciencies, specifically in the winglet case. The investigation provided valuable insights into the aerodynamic complexities of designing wing extensions and winglets for tiltrotors.
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U2 - 10.2514/6.2013-1088
DO - 10.2514/6.2013-1088
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85087246211
SN - 9781624101816
T3 - 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition 2013
BT - 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition 2013
PB - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc.
T2 - 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition 2013
Y2 - 7 January 2013 through 10 January 2013
ER -