Computations of Laminar Flow Control on Swept Wings as a Companion to Flight Test Research
Abstract
The high cost of energy has resulted in a renewed interest in the study of
reducing skin-friction drag in aeronautical applications. Laminar Flow Control
(LFC) refers to any technique which alters the basic-state flow-field to delay
transition from laminar to turbulent flow. Achieving fully laminar flow over a
civilian transport wing will significantly reduce drag and fuel costs while increasing
range and performance.
Boundary-layer suction has proven to be an effective means of achieving
laminar flow over an aircraft wing as demonstrated with the Northrop X-21 program;
however, even with the savings in fuel, the high manufacturing and maintenance
costs have discouraged the use of this technology. Recent work using threedimensional
(3-D) spanwise-periodic distributed roughness elements (DREs) has
shown great promise as a means of controlling the crossflow instability responsible
for transition over a swept wing without the need for a complex suction system.
The Texas A
Citation
Rhodes, Richard G. (2008). Computations of Laminar Flow Control on Swept Wings as a Companion to Flight Test Research. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2008 -12 -96.