Winglets effect on the aerodynamics of aircraft wing; computational studies

Abstract

Aircraft drag reduction has been of interest to aerospace industry for long time. Therefore, in the past decade different flow control techniques have been used such as active and passive flow control techniques. Winglet design has been explored in the past both experimentally and computationally. Experimental studies pose significant challenges due to the wing-span and costly equipment and facilities. Therefore, this study concerns the computational studies of winglet design using the large-eddy simulation approach. The results show that the winglet design reduces the flow separation and drag force, while the pressure and lift force increases.