Project description
Large-scale simulations could pinpoint where laminar flow occurs
Wind tunnel tests are an essential stage in aircraft design. However, simulating laminar and turbulent airflow at scale and identifying the transition zone in realistic operating conditions is complex. The EU-funded BinCola project will leverage temperature-sensitive technologies to address this challenge. Researchers will test extended laminarity on the nacelles (engine housings) and horizontal tailplane of a business jet to reduce drag and increase aerodynamic performance. To pinpoint where the transition occurs between the laminar and turbulent flow on an aircraft part in the wind tunnel, the team will investigate two types of temperature-sensitive paint technologies: embedding a layer of carbon nanotubes and using infrared radiation.
Objective
The global target of the project “BinCola” is the experimental verification of benefits coming along with the replacement of classically designed nacelles and HTP by enhanced components specifically developed for natural laminar flow (NLF) development. To ensure a realistic evaluation and assessment of benefits relevant wind tunnel tests will be performed at flight Mach and Reynolds numbers.
An existing basic model of a business jet configuration will be made available by the Topic Manager and serve as the reference configuration. He is also responsible for the provision of the laminar design of the components to be replaced while their detailed design, manufacturing and assembly are part of this proposal.
Transition monitoring is generally performed at cryogenic conditions by using temperature sensitive paint (TSP). To visualize laminar and turbulent areas a positive or negative temperature step has to be performed in a wind tunnel violating by nature the consistency of all flow parameters. New developments at ETW and DLR offer to overcome this deficit by innovative surface heating concepts which are proposed here for application. This approach will make temperature steps superfluous; hence, allow taking images during continuous incidence polars, the standard testing sequence in ETW
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CS2-RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
51147 Koln
Germany