Effects of Supercritical Airfoil Upper Camber Modification on Overall Airfoil Performance

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of a supercritical airplane wing airfoil modification on the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing using primarily lift and drag characteristics. This research is motivated by new approaches in dynamic wing re-configuration studies initiated by NASA. Wing re-configuration via mechanical wing movement has been successfully implemented in military aircraft. The latest approach examines changes in wing characteristics in a dynamic fashion (“morphing”) using smart material and moving parts in the entire wing surface. To better understand airfoil modification effects on the aerodynamics of the process, the super-critical airfoil upper camber is varied. ANSYS/Fluent software is used to develop the numerical simulation for compressible flows in the low transonic regime (Mach number 0.7-0.9). The baseline simulations have been successfully validated with published data and selected experimental results. Simulation results for lift, drag, and pressure coefficients along with the flow Mach numbers for various angles of attack have been produced to evaluate airfoil modifications. The preliminary findings point to an improved airfoil lift characteristics by increasing the airfoil upper camber. As expected, increased drag coefficient appear to counteract the improved lift characteristics.