Experimental investigation of thermal distribution on an airfoil wing coated with nanomaterials in a supersonic flow

Abstract

The thermal instability experienced by aircraft beyond supersonic speeds poses a significant risk to structural stability, particularly due to airfoil surface delamination. Conventional methods of addressing this issue involve incorporating thermal shields and modifying the design, but these approaches require extensive redesigning and lack scalability. However, an alternative approach is to reduce surface temperature distribution and minimize surface drag through the application of nanomaterial coatings. In this study, graphene nanocoating was utilized to reduce the surface roughness of the TsAGI S-12 airfoil. The thermal characteristics of the coated airfoil were evaluated using infrared (IR) imaging. The results of wind tunnel experiments showed a remarkable 21 % reduction in surface temperature and an 18 % reduction in shock wave angle compared to the conventional airfoil. Additionally, atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis of the coated nanomaterial surface revealed a decrease in surface roughness from 20 nm to 2 nm. The use of nanomaterial surface coatings proves to be a simple and highly effective method for reducing surface temperature and minimizing shockwaves. Moreover, it offers the advantage of high scalability, making it easily applicable in the aircraft industry. Ultimately, the application of nanomaterial coatings has the potential to revolutionize the supersonic aviation industry by enhancing stability and performance.