Numerical analyses of a reference wing for combination of hybrid laminar flow control and variable camber

The objective of the LuFo VI-1 project CATeW (Coupled Aerodynamic Technologies for Aircraft Wings) consists in multifidelity analyses to assess the potential for aerodynamic efficiency increase by combined application of hybrid laminar flow control and variable camber technologies to the wing of a transonic transport aircraft. Individually, both technologies have proven to lead to major aerodynamic drag reductions. An evaluation of the coupled technologies is, therefore, expected to show an even higher potential due to synergy effects. To derive conclusions on system level, low-fidelity (LowFi) overall aircraft design methodologies will be applied for the analysis of a medium haul reference aircraft in the course of the project, while complex aerodynamic phenomena are modelled with high-fidelity (HiFi) computational fluid dynamics methods. The paper at hand presents results of aerodynamic analyses on both fidelity levels for the wing of the turbulent reference configuration CATeW-01, featuring the technology combination as a retrofit. Furthermore, this work encompasses adaptations and implementations performed within both the LowFi and HiFi toolchains. The LowFi toolchain already incorporates several modules for the proposed technology combination. A short presentation of the LowFi-toolchain is given, along with the modeling approach in the HiFi framework using mesh deformations and a mass flux boundary condition. Comparative studies of the turbulent flow field around the wing show good agreement of predicted load distributions in both numerical frameworks, studies based upon the HiFi approach attest the potential for efficiency increase due to the variable camber technology, incorporated by means of Adaptive Dropped Hinge Flap (ADHF) deflections. Considering the coupled application, four different constant suction mass flow rates are examined, where the maximum mass flow causes laminar flow extending over the entire suction panel, thus moving the transition location from the wing’s leading edge to the end of the suction panel. When being coupled with ADHF deflections, again the variable camber technology leads to a reduction of the wing’s pressure drag component with the simultaneous application of boundary layer suction further promoting drag reduction with increasing suction rate. While the combined application shows no mutual inhibition, major reciprocal effects are not directly observable when applying the combination as a retrofit to the reference configuration CATeW-01. This is mainly attributed to the limited extend of laminar flow, thus indicating the necessity for optimization in wing geometry and operating parameters, to achieve extensive areas of laminar flow and to promote the aspired synergy effects.