Leading-edge lift device, wing and aircraft, and buffer member

Abstract

To provide a technique concerning a leading edge high-lift device which can reduce noises generated from an inboard end of slat and a slat support mechanism.SOLUTION: A leading edge high-lift device, which can be expanded and stored with respect to a main wing leading edge of an airframe, comprises a slat body, and a cushioning part. The slat body has: a front edge part; a rear edge part which forms a clearance between itself and a main wing during expansion; a cusp part formed on a lower edge of the front edge part; a cob part formed between the cusp part the rear edge part; and an inboard end face which is formed between the front edge part and the cob part, and is positioned on a shell side of the airframe. The cushioning part is provided at an inboard end part of the slat body that includes the inboard end face and an inboard side surface of the cob part, and reduces pressure fluctuation in air stream on the inboard end face or the inboard side surface of the cob part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a leading-edge high-lift device installed on an aircraft wing, as well as a wing and an aircraft equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] In order to achieve low-speed flight when an aircraft takes off and lands at an airport, a high-lift device is deployed from the main wing. In particular, in passenger aircraft and the like, a leading-edge high-lift device such as a slat is attached to the leading edge of the main wing, and a large lift is generated during low-speed flight.

[0003] The slat has a function of increasing the upper limit (maximum lift) of the lift of the main wing by providing a gap between the slat and the leading edge of the parent wing. On the other hand, a large aerodynamic noise is also generated under the flight conditions during landing approach. Due to the constraints for storing in the main wing, there is a dent (bump) on the lower surface of the slat, and the turbulent flow in the reverse flow region formed there causes noise.

[0004] Therefore, as a typical technique for suppressing the noise caused by the turbulent flow in the reverse flow region formed in the bump on the lower surface of the slat, for example, the concept of a "bump filler" that eliminates the reverse flow region of the bump by adding a curved surface shape along the shear layer of the reverse flow region to the lower surface of the slat is known (see Patent Document 1). In addition, a method has been proposed in which "serration" is installed at the cusp on the lower surface of the slat where the reverse flow region is generated to actively mix the shear layer of the bump and suppress the generation of large pressure fluctuations (see Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] On the one hand, when conducting sound source exploration on an actual airliner or a wind tunnel experiment model, it has been confirmed that in addition to the noise caused by the turbulent flow of the shear layer in the bump inside the lower surface of the slat, significant noise is generated from the inner side edge of the slat and the slat support mechanism that supports the slat so as to be deployable from the leading edge of the main wing. These noises cannot be suppressed by the configurations of Patent Documents 1 and 2 above. Also, the noise from the inner side edge of the slat and the slat support mechanism may be greater than the noise caused by the reverse flow region formed inside the aforementioned bump depending on the frequency band. Therefore, if noise reduction of the inner side edge of the slat etc. cannot be achieved, the noise level of the entire aircraft cannot be reduced.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology related to a leading-edge high-lift device capable of reducing the noise generated from the inner side edge of the slat and the slat support mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] A leading-edge high-lift device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a leading-edge high-lift device that can be deployed and retracted with respect to the leading edge of the main wing of an aircraft body, and includes a slat body and a buffer portion. The slat body has a leading edge portion, a trailing edge portion that forms a gap with the main wing during deployment, a cusp portion formed at the lower edge of the leading edge portion, a bump portion formed between the cusp portion and the trailing edge portion, and an inner side end surface formed between the leading edge portion and the bump portion and located on the fuselage side of the aircraft body. The buffer portion is provided at the inner side end of the slat body including the inner side end surface and the inner side surface of the bump portion of the slat body, and reduces the pressure fluctuation of the airflow on the inner side end surface or the inner side surface of the bump portion.

[0009] The buffer portion may be a structure having a first outer surface portion that abuts against the inner side end surface and a second outer surface portion including a curved surface that rectifies the airflow from the leading edge portion toward the bump portion.

[0010] The structure may be made of a flexible material that can be deformed to be accommodated in the gap between the slat body and the main wing when being stored at the leading edge of the main wing.

[0011] The buffering part may be a curved surface part including a curved surface that is provided on the inner side end surface and rectifies the airflow from the leading edge part toward the bump part.

[0012] The buffering part may be a fence member provided at the inner side end part, and the fence member may have a first extending part that extends toward the fuselage side of the aircraft body rather than the inner side end surface, and a second extending part that is provided at the tip of the first extending part and extends toward the leading edge part side.

[0013] The fence member may be provided at a part or the entire area of an edge that is the boundary between the inner side end surface and the inner side surface of the bump part.

[0014] The fence member may be made of a flexible material that can be deformed to be accommodated in the gap between the slat body and the main wing when being stored at the leading edge of the main wing.

[0015] The buffering part may be a porous layer disposed on at least one of the inner side end surface and the inner side surface of the bump part.

[0016] The buffering part may be a blade member that forms the cusp part and has a corner part on the fuselage side of the aircraft body cut out on the main wing side of the aircraft body.

[0017] The buffering part may be a blade member that forms the cusp part, and the blade member may have a porous layer provided at the inner side end part of the blade member on the fuselage side of the aircraft body.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the noise generated from the inner side end part of the slat and the slat support deployment mechanism.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Overview of High-Lift Device] Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view seen from the upper surface side, which is a configuration example of one main wing (left wing) 100 of an aircraft, and Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view seen from the lower surface side of the main wing 100. The main wing 100 has a parent wing 10, a slat 20 disposed on the leading edge 10a side of the parent wing 10, and a flap 30 disposed on the trailing edge 10b side of the parent wing 10. Note that the other main wing (right wing) of the aircraft is configured in the same manner as the main wing 100.

[0022] The slat 20 is configured to be deployable and storable on the leading edge 10a of the parent wing 10. During cruising, the slat 20 is stored on the leading edge 10a of the parent wing 10 as shown in the figure, and during landing or takeoff, the slat 20 is deployed with respect to the leading edge 10a of the parent wing 10 by a slat support device 11. The leading edge 10a of the parent wing 10 refers to the region facing the slat 20 in the chord direction of the slat 20. In the following description, the leading edge 10a is also referred to as the parent wing leading edge 10a.

[0023] The flap 30 is configured to be deployable and stowable at the trailing edge 10b of the main wing 10. During cruising, the flap 30 is stowed at the trailing edge 10b of the main wing 10 as shown in the figure, and during landing or takeoff, the flap 30 is deployed with respect to the trailing edge 10b of the main wing 10 by the flap support device 12.

[0024] The slats 20 are usually divided into a plurality along the leading edge 10a of the main wing with the engine 40 in between. The length of each slat 20 in the wingspan direction is arbitrarily set to the required length according to the arrangement area. Similarly, the flap 30 is usually arranged by being divided into a plurality along the trailing edge 10b of the main wing 10, each with an arbitrary length. The slats 20 and the flap 30 are made of, for example, metal materials such as aluminum alloy and stainless steel, or composite materials such as CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) and GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic).

[0025] The slat 20 is one of the leading edge high-lift devices. By providing a gap through which the airflow can pass between the slat 20 and the main wing 10 during deployment, the maximum lift (the upper limit of lift) of the main wing 100 is increased, and the angle of attack at which the main wing 100 stalls is increased. The size of the gap between the slat 20 and the main wing 10 is adjusted by the size (angle) of the deployment of the slat 20 with respect to the main wing 10. Typically, the slat 20 is deployed more greatly during landing than during takeoff.

[0026] [Technical problems of the slat] Next, the technical problems of the slat will be described using the slat 201 with the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 3 and the slat 202 with the configuration shown in FIG. 6. Note that since the slat 201 and the slat 202 are models used in the numerical simulation described later, detailed descriptions of each part will be omitted here.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the slat 201 perpendicular to the wingspan direction of the main wing 10, showing the state at the time of landing when the slat 201 is fully deployed (fully opened) with respect to the leading edge 10a of the main wing. The slat 201 has a leading edge 21, a trailing edge 22, a cusp portion 23, a bump portion 24, and an upper surface portion 26. As shown in FIG. 3, the cross-sectional shape of the slat 201 forms the shape of a closed space surrounded by the leading edge 21, the trailing edge 22, the cusp portion 23, the bump portion 24, and the upper surface portion 26. Here, the upper surface portion 26 generally means a region facing the bump portion 24 in the wing thickness direction of the slat 201.

[0028] The slat 201 has a function of increasing the upper limit (maximum lift) of the lift of the main wing 100 by providing a gap G between it and the leading edge 10a of the parent wing. On the other hand, the slat 201 generates a large aerodynamic noise under the flight conditions during landing approach. One of the noise sources is the bump portion 24 of the slat 201, and the turbulent flow in the reverse flow region formed in the bump portion 24 generates noise.

[0029] As an example, FIG. 4 shows the numerical simulation results of the flow field during landing in the slat 201 shown in FIG. 3. As shown in the figure, the shear layer separated from the cusp portion 23 forms a vortical reverse flow region in the bump portion 24, and with the formation of this reverse flow region, turbulent flow of the shear layer is generated. The generated turbulent shear layer reattaches to the bump portion 24 and then passes through the gap G between the slat 201 and the parent wing 10. When the turbulent shear layer passes through the gap G, it generates noise towards the ground and the sky. The noise is mainly generated by the pressure fluctuations at the reattachment point of the bump portion 24 where the turbulent shear layer attaches and the pressure fluctuations at the trailing edge 22, and propagates towards the ground and the sky.

[0030] As a method for suppressing the generation of noise caused by the shear layer separated from the cusp portion 23, as described above, there are a method of installing a "bump filler" on the bump portion 24 to add a curved surface shape along the shear layer of the reverse flow region (Patent Document 1), a method of installing "serration" on the cusp portion 23 on the lower surface of the slat where the reverse flow region occurs to actively mix the shear layer of the bump portion 24 (Patent Document 2), and the like.

[0031] When conducting sound source exploration on an actual airliner or a wind tunnel experiment model, it has been confirmed that in addition to the noise caused by the turbulent flow of the shear layer inside the bump, significant noise is generated from the inner side end of the slat and the slat support mechanism that supports the slat so that it can be deployed from the leading edge of the main wing. For example, FIG. 5 shows the numerical simulation results showing an example of the unsteady flow field near the inner side end of the slat 202 on the right wing side during landing. The figure visualizes the pressure coefficient distribution on the object surface and the isosurface of the vorticity magnitude (the same applies to FIGS. 7 and 8 described later).

[0032] As shown in FIG. 5, looking at the flow field near the inner side end of the slat 202, the following flow separation and interference are considered to cause large pressure fluctuations and thus be the cause of noise generation. (1) Flow separation from the inner side end surface 25 of the slat 202 (see region C1) (2) Vortex generation in the spanwise direction (wing length direction) from the inner side corner of the cusp part 23 (see arrow C2) (3) Interference between the above (1), (2) and the slat support device 11 (see region C3)

[0033] FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the vicinity of the inner side end of the slat 202 on the left wing side, FIG. 7 shows the numerical simulation results showing an example of the unsteady flow field when the flow acts in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 shows the numerical simulation results of the unsteady flow field viewed from the rear side of the slat 202 in FIG. 7. Here, region C1 in FIG. 5 corresponds to the vortex indicated by arrow C1 in FIG. 7 and the vortex in region C1 surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 8, respectively. Arrow C2 in FIG. 5 corresponds to the vortex indicated by arrow C2 in FIG. 7 and arrow C2 indicated by the broken line in FIG. 8, respectively. And region C3 in FIG. 5 corresponds to the vortex in region C3 surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 7 and the vortex in region C3 surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 8, respectively.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the wing thickness direction of the slat 202, showing the generation state of the vortices V1 and V2 generated at the inner side end of the slat 202. The set of vortices V1 and V2 corresponds to the vortex of C1 shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8. Vortex V1 corresponds to the four black arrows on the right column side (front side) of the arrow C1 in FIG. 7. Vortex V1 is likely to occur significantly when the inner side end face 25 has a skin portion 25s that projects inward on a part of its peripheral edge. On the other hand, vortex V2 corresponds to the region C1 in FIGS. 5 and 8 and the two white arrows on the left column side (rear side) of the arrow C1 in FIG. 7. Vortex V2 can also be considered to be formed by combining with the flow of vortex V1. Also, the vortex indicated by the arrow C2 in FIG. 8 is generated in the span direction due to the flow separated from the inner side corner portion 23c of the cusp portion 23. Furthermore, the vortices indicated by the region C1 and the arrow C2 in FIG. 8, particularly the vortex indicated by C2, collide with the slat support device 11 through the slat cob portion 24, and the interference between the vortices indicated by C1 and C2 and the slat support device 11 causes turbulent flow that becomes a noise source.

[0035] The noise on the inner side of the slat as described above cannot be suppressed by the "cob filler" or "serration" described in the above Patent Documents 1 and 2. Also, the noise from the inner side end of the slat and the slat support mechanism may be larger than the noise caused by the reverse flow region formed in the cob depending on the frequency band. Therefore, if the noise reduction of the inner side end of the slat cannot be achieved, the noise level of the entire aircraft cannot be reduced.

[0036] Therefore, in order to achieve noise reduction at the inner side end of the slat, the leading edge high-lift device of the present embodiment includes the following means. (1) Reduce the pressure fluctuation caused by the separation from the inner side end face of the slat. Specifically, (1-1) Reduce the separation itself by rectifying the inner side end of the slat. (1-2) Move the separation region away from the surface of the cob portion. (1-3) Reduce the flow velocity of the separated flow. (1-4) Reduce the fluid velocity that gives pressure fluctuation to the surface of the cob portion. (2) By suppressing the generation of strong vortices from the inner side corner of the cusp portion 23 or changing the path of vortex generation to avoid interference, the pressure fluctuations occurring at the inner side end of the slat are reduced. Specifically, (2-1) Shape modification of the inner side end of the cusp portion 23 (2-2) Material modification of the inner side end of the cusp portion 23

[0037] Hereinafter, the details of the slat, which is the leading-edge high-lift device of the present invention, will be described separately for each embodiment.

[0038] [First Embodiment] (Configuration Example 1-1) FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the slat 20A of the present embodiment for explaining Configuration Example 1-1, and is a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the wing thickness direction of the slat 20A on the left wing side. Note that the slat on the right wing side is configured symmetrically with the slat on the left wing side.

[0039] The slat 20A of the present embodiment includes a slat main body 210 and a buffer member 31 as a buffer portion disposed at the inner side end thereof.

[0040] The slat main body 210 has a leading edge portion 221, a trailing edge portion 222, a cusp portion 223, a bump portion 224, an inner side end face 225, and an upper surface portion 226 (see FIG. 11). The slat main body 210 is made of, for example, a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or stainless steel, or a composite material such as CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) or GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic). The slat main body 210 corresponds to a slat having a conventional structure optimized only for aerodynamic performance.

[0041] The buffer member 31 is provided at the inner side end portion 230 of the slat body 210 (see FIG. 11) including the inner side end face 225 of the slat body 210 and the inner side surface of the bump portion 224, and reduces the pressure fluctuations of the airflow on the inner side end face 225 and the inner side surface of the bump portion 224. In the present embodiment, the buffer member 31 prevents the separation of the flow at the inner side end portion of the slat 210 by rectifying the airflow from the leading edge portion 221 of the slat body 210 toward the bump portion 224, thereby suppressing the pressure fluctuations at the inner side end portion of the slat 210.

[0042] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the slat body 210 on the right wing side. The upper left is a partial perspective view seen from the inner side of the slat body 210, the upper right is a side view seen from the inner side of the slat body 210, the lower left is a partial perspective view seen from the rear side of the inner side of the slat body 210, and the lower right is a partial rear view seen from the rear side of the slat body 210.

[0043] The leading edge portion 221 has a streamline shape convex forward (opposite to the main wing 10 side) and is continuously formed with the upper surface portion 226. The trailing edge portion 222 is the tip of the edge formed by the rear end portion of the bump portion 224 and the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 226, and forms a gap G (see FIG. 3) with the main wing 10 during deployment. The cusp portion 223 is formed at the tip of the blade seal BS protruding toward the main wing leading edge 10a, which is disposed at the lower edge of the leading edge portion 221. The blade seal BS is configured as an extension portion forming the cusp portion 223 and also has a function of shielding the gap between the main wing 10 and the lower edge of the slat leading edge portion when the slat is stored in the main wing 10.

[0044] The bump portion 224 is a concave surface formed on the lower surface of the slat body 210 between the cusped portion 223 and the trailing edge portion 222. The bump portion 224 is a portion that is close to the leading edge 10a of the mother wing during storage, and here it is formed in a polyhedral shape having a first flat portion 224a, a second flat portion 224b, and a third flat portion 224c as shown in FIG. 11. The first flat portion 224a is a flat portion formed on the lower edge side of the leading edge portion 221, the third flat portion 224c is a flat portion formed on the trailing edge portion 222 side, and the second flat portion 224b is a flat portion connecting between the first flat portion 224a and the third flat portion 224c. Note that the bump portion 224 is not limited to the example formed in the illustrated polyhedral shape, and may be formed in a curved surface shape convex forward.

[0045] The inner side end face 225 of the slat body 210 refers to the side surface on the inner side of the slat body 210. In the case of a slat (hereinafter also referred to as an inner side slat) located on the inner side of the engine 40 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), it refers to the side surface on the fuselage 1 side of the aircraft, and in the case of a slat located on the outer side of the engine 40, it refers to the side surface on the engine side. The inner side end face 225 is formed as a substantially flat plane portion surrounded by the leading edge portion 221, the bump portion 224, and the upper surface portion 226. The inner side end face 225 has a skin portion 225s that protrudes inward on a part of its peripheral edge. The skin portion 225s is formed on the peripheral edge extending from the blade seal BS to the trailing edge portion 222 via the leading edge portion 221 and the upper surface portion 226.

[0046] The inner side end portion 230 of the slat body 210 refers to a region including the inner side end face 225 and the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224. The inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 is the inner side region of the first to third flat portions 224a to 224c of the bump portion 224, and its range includes the region corresponding to the region C1 shown in FIG. 8 and the inner side surface region of the blade seal BS forming the cusped portion 223.

[0047] FIG. 12 is a view showing the configuration of the slat 20A of the present embodiment in which the buffer member 31 is attached to the above-described slat body 210. The upper left is a partial perspective view seen from the inner side of the slat 20A, the upper right is a side view seen from the inner side of the slat 20A, the lower left is a partial perspective view seen from the rear side of the inner side of the slat 20A, and the lower right is a partial rear view seen from the rear side of the slat 20A.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 12, the buffer member 31 is installed on the inner-side end face 225 so as to fill the space formed between the inner-side end face 225 of the slat body 210 and the skin portion 225s at the peripheral edge thereof. The buffer member 31 is formed in a shape that is the same as or substantially the same as the shape of the inner-side end face 225 of the slat body 210 when viewed from the inner side of the slat 20A.

[0049] The buffer member 31 has a first outer surface portion 310 that abuts against the inner-side end face 225 of the slat body 210, and a second outer surface portion 320 that rectifies the airflow from the leading edge portion 221 of the slat body 210 toward the bump portion 224 as indicated by the arrow A1 in FIG. 10.

[0050] The first outer surface portion 310 is a side surface portion of the buffer member 31 facing the inner-side end face 225, and is formed in a planar shape corresponding to the inner-side end face 225 of the slat body 210. The buffer member 31 is fixed to the inner-side end face 225 with the first outer surface portion 310 using an appropriate fastener such as a bolt. The thickness along the wing length direction of the buffer member 31 is made equal to or less than the protruding height of the skin portion 225s from the inner-side end face 225.

[0051] The second outer surface portion 320 is a surface area that forms the appearance of the inner side of the slat 20A, and has a flat portion 321, a first curved surface portion 322, and a second curved surface portion 323. The flat portion 321 is formed as a planar portion that is located on the inner side of the leading edge portion 221 of the slat body 210 and is parallel to the chord line direction. The first curved surface portion 322 is formed as a curved surface portion that smoothly (continuously) connects between the flat portion 321 and the first planar portion 224a of the bump portion 224. The second curved surface portion 323 is formed as a curved surface portion that smoothly (continuously) connects between the flat portion 321 and the second planar portion 224b of the bump portion 224. The first curved portion 322 and the second curved portion 323 form a curved surface that rectifies the airflow from the leading edge portion 221 toward the bump portion 224.

[0052] The buffer member 31 is typically composed of a rigid body such as a metal material, but may also be composed of an elastic body such as a rubber material or a flexible material that can be deformed into a predetermined shape. In particular, when the buffer member 31 is composed of a flexible material, the buffer member 31 can be deformed so as to be accommodated in the gap between the inner side end face 225 of the slat 20A and the main wing 10 when the slat 20A is stored in the main wing 10, thereby enhancing the storability of the slat 20A in the main wing 10. Further, since the gap between the inner side end face 225 of the slat 20A and the main wing 10 can be filled with the buffer member 31 when stored in the main wing 10, the intended aerodynamic performance of the main wing 10 during cruising can be ensured.

[0053] In this case, the buffer member 31 is composed of, for example, a material (elastic material, shape memory alloy, etc.) that can expand into a target shape during deployment and be crushed during storage, or a structure incorporating various mechanical parts (link mechanism, etc.).

[0054] In the slat 20A of the present embodiment configured as described above, since the buffer member 31 having the above-described configuration is installed on the inner side end surface 225 of the slat body 210, it is possible to reduce the step at the inner side end of the slat as much as possible compared to the case where the buffer member 31 is not installed. In particular, since the second outer peripheral surface 320 of the buffer member 31 has the first curved surface portion 322 and the second curved surface portion 323 that are continuous with the inner side surface of the bump portion 24, the airflow from the leading edge portion 221 of the slat 20A toward the bump portion 224 can be smoothly rectified. As a result, it is possible to prevent the separation of the airflow at the inner side end of the slat 20A during deployment from the main wing 10, reduce the pressure fluctuation at the inner side end of the slat 20A, and suppress the generation of noise.

[0055] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since it is possible to prevent the separation of the airflow at the inner side end 230 of the slat body 210, it is also possible to prevent the interference of the airflow separated at the inner side end 230 with the slat support device 11. As a result, it is also possible to reduce the generation of noise caused by the interference between the airflow (vortex) separated at the inner side end 230 and the slat support device 11.

[0056] [Second Embodiment] (Configuration Example 1-2) FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the slat 20B of the present embodiment for explaining Configuration Example 1-2, and is a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the wing thickness direction of the slat 20B on the left wing side. FIG. 14 is a view showing a configuration example of the slat 20B on the right wing side, and is a side view seen from the inner side.

[0057] The slat 20B of the present embodiment includes a slat body 210 and a fence member 41 provided as a buffer portion at the inner side end 230 thereof. Since the slat body 210 is the same as that of the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] The fence member 41 is provided at the inner side end portion 230 (see FIG. 11) of the slat main body 210, and reduces the pressure fluctuations of the airflow on the inner side surface of the inner side end surface 225 and the cob portion 224. In the present embodiment, the fence member 41 is provided at a part or the entire area of the edge portion that is the boundary between the inner side end surface 225 of the slat main body 210 and the inner side surface 224s of the cob portion 224.

[0059] FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fence member 41. The fence member 41 has a first extending portion 411 that extends to the inner side (toward the fuselage body 1 side) from the inner side end surface 225 of the slat main body 210, a second extending portion 412 that is provided at the tip of the first extending portion 411 and extends toward the leading edge portion 211 side, and a fixing portion 413 that is fixed to the inner side end surface 225.

[0060] The second extending portion 412 is typically formed by bending the tip of the first extending portion 411 toward the leading edge portion 221 side. The bending angle of the second extending portion 412 with respect to the first extending portion 411 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 90 degrees.

[0061] Note that the fence member 41 is not limited to being fixed to the inner side end surface 225 of the slat main body 210, and may be fixed to the inner side surface 224s of the cob portion 224, for example. In this case, the fixing portion 413 is formed in parallel with the first extending portion 411.

[0062] The first extending portion 411 and the second extending portion 412 of the fence member 41 face the skin portion 225s of the inner side end surface 225 of the slat main body 210. As a result, the space between the inner side end surface 225 and the cob portion 224 is partitioned by the fence member 41. As a result, when the slat 20B is deployed, as shown in FIG. 13, the airflow (vortex V1) separated at the inner side end surface 225 is converted into a vortex V1' that circulates outside the fence member 41. By separating the airflow separation region from the cob portion 224 in this way by the fence member 41, the pressure fluctuations on the inner side surface 224s of the cob portion 224 can be reduced, and the generation of noise can be suppressed.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the airflow separated at the inner-side end face 225 by the fence member 41 is prevented from reaching the surface of the bump portion 224, and separation of the airflow at the inner-side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 can be prevented. Therefore, interference between the separated airflow at the inner-side end face 225 and the surface of the bump portion 224 and the slat support device 11 can also be prevented. As a result, generation of noise caused by interference between the separated airflow (vortex) at the inner-side end portion 230 of the slat main body 210 and the slat support device 11 can also be reduced.

[0064] The fence member 41 is made of, for example, a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or stainless steel, or a composite material such as CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) or GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic). The fence member 41 is not limited to an example in which it is formed as a separate member from the slat main body 210, and may be integrally formed as a part of the slat main body 210.

[0065] Alternatively, the fence member 41 may be made of a flexible material that deforms so as to be accommodatable in the gap between the slat main body 210 and the main wing 10 when being stored in the leading edge 10a of the main wing. Thereby, the storability of the slat 20B in the main wing 10 can be enhanced.

[0066] [Third Embodiment] (Configuration Example 1-3) FIG. 16 is a schematic view of the slat 20C of the present embodiment for explaining Configuration Example 1-3, and is a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the wing thickness direction of the slat 20C on the left wing side. FIG. 17 is a view showing a configuration example of the slat 20C on the right wing side, and is a side view seen from the inner-side.

[0067] The slat 20C of the present embodiment includes a slat main body 210 and a porous layer 51 provided as a buffer portion on the inner-side end face 225 thereof. Since the slat main body 210 is the same as that of the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] The porous layer 51 is composed of a porous material in which a plurality of pores communicate with each other within the layer. The porous material is typically composed of an inorganic material such as a metal material or a metal oxide material, but is not limited thereto, and may be composed of a synthetic resin material, a ceramic material, or the like. The porous layer 51 may be a plate-like member installed on the inner side end face 225 of the slat body 210, or may be a porous structural surface formed by surface processing the inner side end face 225.

[0069] The porous layer 51 is provided over the entire or substantially the entire inner side end face 225 of the slat body 210, thereby reducing the speed of the flow passing through the porous layer 51. Thereby, the pressure fluctuation of the airflow at the inner side end face 225 can be reduced. Further, since the flow velocity at the inner side end face 225 can be decreased, the separation of the flow on the surface of the bump portion 224 can also be reduced, and thereby the generation of the vortex V2 on the surface of the bump portion 224 can be alleviated. As a result, the pressure fluctuation at the inner side end portion 230 of the slat body 210 is reduced, and a reduction in noise can be realized.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, interference between the airflow separated at the inner side end face 225 and the surface of the bump portion 224 and the slat support device 11 can also be prevented. Thereby, the generation of noise caused by the interference between the airflow (vortex) separated at the inner side end portion 230 of the slat body 210 and the slat support device 11 can also be reduced.

[0071] The porous layer 51 may be selectively provided only in a partial region of the inner side end face 225 of the slat body 210. In this case, when the chord length of the slat 20C (slat body 210) is Cs, for example, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the porous layer 51 is preferably provided within a range of a length of 80% of the chord length Cs in the chord direction (chord line direction) from the leading edge portion 221 on the inner side end face 225. At this time, the porous layer 51 is preferably provided so as to cover the boundary portion between the inner side end face of the slat main body 210 and the bump portion 224. Further, with respect to the leading edge portion 221 side, the porous layer 51 may be provided at a position separated by about half of the length corresponding to the protruding amount of the skin portion 225s from the peripheral edge portion of the inner side end face 225. The arrangement region of the porous layer 51 set in this way is a region where pressure fluctuations of the air flow are likely to occur on the inner side end face 225. Therefore, by installing the porous layer 51 in this region, it is possible to most effectively reduce the pressure fluctuations on the inner side end face 225 while minimizing the installation region of the porous layer 52.

[0072] [Fourth Embodiment] (Configuration Example 1-4) FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the slat 20D of the present embodiment for explaining Configuration Example 1-4, and is a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the wing thickness direction of the slat 20D on the left wing side. FIG. 21 is a view showing a configuration example of the slat 20D on the right wing side, and is a partial perspective view seen from the inner side rear side.

[0073] The slat 20D of the present embodiment includes a slat main body 210 and a porous layer 52 as a buffer portion provided on the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 thereof. Since the slat main body 210 is the same as that of the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0074] The porous layer 52 is composed of a porous material in which a plurality of holes communicate with each other in the layer, similarly to the above-described porous layer 51. The porous material is typically composed of an inorganic material such as a metal material or a metal oxide material, but is not limited thereto, and may be composed of a synthetic resin material, a ceramic material, or the like. The porous layer 52 may be a plate-like member installed on the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224, or may be a porous structural surface formed by surface processing the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224.

[0075] The porous layer 52 is provided over the entire area or a partial area of the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224, thereby reducing the flow velocity passing through the porous layer 52 and reducing the generation of the vortex V2 on the surface of the bump portion 224. As a result, since the pressure fluctuation on the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 is reduced, it is possible to achieve a reduction in noise on the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, interference between the airflow separated at the surface of the bump portion 224 and the slat support device 11 can also be prevented, so that the generation of noise caused by interference with the slat support device 11 can also be reduced.

[0077] Furthermore, the present embodiment may be combined with the above-described third embodiment. In this case, as in the slat 20E shown in FIG. 22, a porous layer 51 is provided on the inner side end surface 225 of the slat body 210. Thereby, not only the pressure fluctuation on the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 but also the pressure fluctuation on the inner side end surface 225 can be reduced, so that the noise reduction effect at the inner side end portion 230 of the slat 210 can be further improved.

[0078] The area of the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 where the porous layer 52 is provided can be arbitrarily set. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, in the bump portion 224, a range of about the chord length (Cs) of the slat 20D in the span direction (wing width direction) from the inner side end surface 225 may be set as the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224. Since the region set in this way is a region where pressure fluctuations of the airflow in the bump portion 224 are likely to occur, by installing the porous layer 52 in the region, the pressure fluctuations on the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 can be most effectively reduced. In this case, the porous layer 52 is not limited to being provided over the entire area of the above region, and as shown in the figure, even when it is partially arranged in a region having a length of about 0.5Cs in the span direction from the inner side end surface 225, a sufficient reduction effect of the pressure fluctuation can be obtained.

[0079] Regarding the chord direction (chord line direction) of the bump portion 224, similar to the above-described configuration examples 1-3 (FIG. 18), in the bump portion 224, a porous layer 52 may be provided in a region within a range of, for example, 80% of the chord length Cs from the cusp portion 223 side toward the trailing edge portion 222. By providing the porous layer 52 in this region, it is possible to most effectively reduce the pressure fluctuation on the inner side surface 224s of the bump portion 224 while minimizing the installation region of the porous layer 52.

[0080] [Characteristic Evaluation 1] FIG. 23 shows the results of a wind tunnel experiment conducted on the slats of each of the above-described configuration examples. This figure shows the results of examining the change in the noise level near the inner end of the inner slat by the noise source exploration method using a microphone array system, and shows the frequency characteristics (difference from the comparative reference form) of the noise reduction effect in the direction directly below the aircraft after conversion to the actual aircraft. The comparative reference form refers to a form in which the slat is configured by the slat main body 210 alone.

[0081] In FIG. 23, Configuration Example 1-1 corresponds to the slat 20A in the first embodiment, Configuration Example 1-2 corresponds to the slat 20B in the second embodiment, and the combination of Configuration Examples 1-3 and 1-4 corresponds to the slat 20E according to the combination of the third and fourth embodiments. As shown in this figure, in the slats according to each configuration example, although an increase in the noise level is observed in some frequency bands, it can be confirmed that a noise reduction effect is generally obtained. In particular, according to the slat 20E according to the combination of Configuration Examples 1-3 and 1-4, a noise reduction effect was observed in almost the entire frequency band.

[0082] [Fifth Embodiment] (Configuration Example 2-1) FIG. 24 is a diagram showing the configuration of the slat 20F of this embodiment for explaining Configuration Example 2-1, and is a partial perspective view of the inner end of the left-wing side slat 20F viewed from the rear side.

[0083] The slat 20F of this embodiment includes a slat body 210 and a blade member 61 as a buffer portion that forms its cusped portion 223. Since the slat body 210 is the same as that of the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0084] The blade member 61 corresponds to the blade seal BS and is a plate-like member that protrudes from the lower edge of the leading edge portion 221 of the slat body 210 toward the main wing 10. As shown by the thin two-dot chain line in FIG. 24, a normal blade seal BS has a corner portion 223c that is perpendicular to its inner side (the side of the fuselage 1 of the aircraft). Therefore, the corner portion 223c generates a relatively strong vortex in the flow toward the cusped portion 223 from the leading edge portion 221 to form a noise source. Therefore, in this embodiment, by changing the shape of the corner portion on the inner side of the blade seal BS, the generation of a strong vortex from the corner portion 223c is suppressed.

[0085] Specifically, the blade member 61 of this embodiment has a shape in which the corner portion on the inner side (the side of the fuselage 1 of the aircraft) on the side of the main wing 10 of the aircraft is cut out. As the shape in which the corner portion on the inner side is cut out, in this embodiment, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 24, it is formed by a smooth curved portion 223r having a curved shape. In addition to this, as shown by the thick two-dot chain line in FIG. 24, it may be a multi-stage corner portion 223v formed by combining a plurality of corner portions having obtuse inner angles, or as shown by the broken line in the same figure, it may be a straight portion 223s in which the corner portion is linearly cut off.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the buffer member 31 described in the above-described first embodiment is installed on the inner side end surface of the slat body 210. This corresponds to a combination of this configuration example 2-1 and the above-described configuration example 1-1 (the first embodiment). In this case, since the pressure fluctuation at the inner side end portion 230 of the slat body 210 can be suppressed, the noise reduction effect can be further enhanced.

[0087] Figure 25 shows the simulation results similar to those of Fig. 8 for the slat 20F according to this configuration example. Here, a buffer member 31 according to Configuration Example 1-1 is installed on the inner side end face of the slat body 210, and an example is shown in which the end of the blade member 61 is formed by the straight portion 223s. As shown in this figure, compared with Fig. 8, the generation of vortices in region C1 is effectively suppressed. This is due to the flow rectifying effect of the buffer member 31. Also, compared with Fig. 8, by forming the straight portion 223s on the blade member 61, the generation of vortices (the vortices indicated by the arrows C2 and the region C3 in Fig. 8) at the inner side end of the cusped portion 223 can be reduced, and the interference between the generated vortices and the slat support device 11 can also be reduced.

[0088] For example, Fig. 26 shows the results of a wind tunnel experiment comparing the noise reduction effect due to the presence or absence of the buffer member 31 in the slat 20F of this embodiment. This figure shows the frequency characteristics of the noise reduction effect in the direction directly below the fuselage at the inner side end of the inner side slat after conversion to the actual machine. In this figure, "Configuration Example 2-1" corresponds to the slat 20F when there is no buffer member 31, and "Combination of Configuration Example 2-1 and 1-1" corresponds to the slat 20F (see Fig. 24) when there is a buffer member 31.

[0089] From the experimental results of Configuration Example 2-1, it was confirmed that by changing the end of the blade member 61 to the straight portion 223s, a noise reduction effect can be obtained in almost the entire frequency band. Also, by installing the buffer member 31 in addition to this, it was confirmed that a greater noise reduction effect can be obtained in a specific frequency band.

[0090] [Fifth Embodiment] (Configuration Example 2-2) Figure 27 is a diagram showing the configuration of the slat 20G of this embodiment for explaining Configuration Example 2-2, and is a partial perspective view of the inner side end of the left wing side slat 20G as viewed from the rear side.

[0091] The slat 20G of this embodiment includes a slat body 210 and a porous layer 62 as a buffer portion formed on the inner side (the side of the fuselage 1) of the blade seal BS. Since the slat body 210 is the same as that of the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0092] The porous layer 62 is provided on the inner surface of the blade member BS at the inner side end (the end on the side of the fuselage 1 of the aircraft, the same hereinafter) of the blade seal BS that forms the cusp portion 223. Similar to the porous layers 51 and 52 described in the above-mentioned third and fourth embodiments, the porous layer 62 is composed of a porous material in which a plurality of holes communicate with each other in the layer. The porous material is typically composed of an inorganic material such as a metal material or a metal oxide material, but is not limited thereto, and may be composed of a synthetic resin material, a ceramic material, or the like. The porous layer 62 may be a plate-like member installed on the inner side surface of the blade seal BS, or may be a porous structural surface formed by surface processing the inner side surface of the blade seal BS.

[0093] The blade seal BS has a corner portion 223c perpendicular to its inner side (the side of the fuselage 1 of the aircraft). Therefore, this corner portion 223c generates a relatively strong vortex in the flow from the leading edge portion 221 to the cusp portion 223, forming a noise source. Therefore, in this embodiment, by changing the material of the corner portion on the inner side of the blade seal BS to a porous material, the generation of a strong vortex from the corner portion 223c is suppressed.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 27, the buffer member 31 described in the above-mentioned first embodiment is installed on the inner side end surface of the slat body 210. Thereby, since the pressure fluctuation at the inner side end portion 230 of the slat body 210 can be suppressed, the noise reduction effect can be further enhanced.

[0095] [Characteristic Evaluation 2] Figure 28 shows the results of examining the change in the noise level near the inner-side end of the inner-side slat by the noise source exploration method using a microphone array system for Configuration Example 1-1, Configuration Example 2-1, and the combination of Configuration Examples 1-1 and 2-1 (Figure 24) based on the basic shape of the slat (corresponding to the slat body 210) before noise reduction measures, and shows the wind tunnel experiment results comparing the OASPL (Over-All Sound Pressure Level) in the direction directly below the aircraft body. As shown in the figure, for each configuration example, a noise reduction effect of 1 dB or more was confirmed compared to the slat of the basic shape. Also, a greater noise reduction effect was recognized for Configuration Example 2-1 than for Configuration Example 1-1. Furthermore, it was confirmed that a significant noise reduction effect can be obtained by combining Configuration Examples 1-1 and 2-1.

[0096] [Other Embodiments] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the present invention is not limited only to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made.

[0097] For example, in the above first embodiment (Configuration Example 1-1), as the buffer part, the buffer member 31 was installed on the inner-side end face 225 of the slat body 210. Instead of this, for example, as in the slat 20H1 shown in Figure 29, a curved surface part 225r may be provided that curves the boundary surface with the bump part 224 of the inner-side end face 225 of the slat body 210. Even in this case, the flow at the inner-side end of the slat 20H1 can be rectified, and the pressure fluctuation at that part can be suppressed to achieve noise reduction.

[0098] Also, as in the slat 20H2 shown in Figure 30, a curved surface part 225r of the inner-side end face 225 may be provided on the downstream side of the curved part 322 of the buffer member 31. In this case, since the buffer member 31 can prevent the separation of the flow at the inner-side end face 225, the noise reduction effect at the inner-side end of the slat can be further enhanced.

[0099] In the further above-described fifth embodiment (configuration example 2-2), as the buffer portion, the porous layer 62 is provided on the inner surface of the inner-side end of the blade seal BS that forms the cusped portion 223. Instead of this or in addition to this, the porous layer 62 may be provided on the outer surface of the inner-side end of the blade seal BS. By providing the porous layer 62 on the outer surface of the inner-side end of the blade seal BS, the velocity of the airflow that rises from the outer surface toward the inner surface at the inner-side end of the blade seal BS can be reduced, and the pressure fluctuation at the inner-side end of the blade seal BS can be reduced.

[0100] FIG. 31 is a schematic view showing another installation example of the porous layer 62 at the inner-side end of the blade seal BS that forms the cusped portion 223. FIG. (A) of this figure shows an example in which the porous layer 62a is provided on the end face (inner-side side face) E0 of the inner-side end 223e of the cusped portion 223. FIG. (B) of this figure shows an example in which the porous layer 62b is provided so as to straddle the end face E0 on the inner surface E1 and the outer surface E2 of the inner-side end 223e. FIG. (C) of this figure shows an example in which the porous layer 62c is integrally formed on the inner surface E1 of the inner-side end 223e, and FIG. (D) of this figure shows an example in which the porous layer 62d is integrally formed on the end face E0, the inner surface E1, and the outer surface E2 of the inner-side end 223e. And FIG. (E) of this figure shows an example in which the entire inner-side end 223e is composed of a porous material (porous layer 62e) that forms the end face E0, the inner surface E1, and the outer surface E2. Even in such a configuration example, the same operational effects as described above can be obtained.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0101] 10…parent wing 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, 20H1, 20H2…slat (leading-edge high-lift device) 31…buffer member 41…fence member 51, 52, 62, 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, 62e…porous layer 61…blade member 100…Main wing 221…Leading edge 222…Trailing edge 223…Cusp part 223e…Inner side end 224…Bump part 224s…Inner side surface (of the bump part) 225…Inner side end face 230…Inner side end

Claims

1. A leading-edge high-lift device that can be deployed and retracted with respect to the leading edge of the main wing of the aircraft body, comprising a leading-edge portion, a trailing-edge portion that forms a gap with the main wing during deployment, a cusp portion formed at the lower edge of the leading-edge portion, a cob portion formed between the cusp portion and the trailing-edge portion, and an inner-side end surface that is formed between the leading-edge portion and the cob portion and is located on the fuselage side of the aircraft body; a slat body having the above components; a buffer portion provided at the inner-side end of the slat body including the inner-side end surface and the inner-side surface of the cob portion, for reducing pressure fluctuations of the airflow on the inner-side end surface or the inner-side surface of the cob portion The leading-edge high-lift device comprising the above components.

2. The leading-edge high-lift device according to Claim 1, wherein the buffer portion is a structure having a first outer surface portion that abuts against the inner-side end surface and a second outer surface portion that includes a curved surface for rectifying the airflow from the leading-edge portion toward the cob portion The leading-edge high-lift device.

3. The leading-edge high-lift device according to Claim 2, wherein the structure is composed of a flexible material that can be deformed to be accommodated in the gap between the slat body and the main wing when retracted to the leading edge of the main wing The leading-edge high-lift device.

4. The leading-edge high-lift device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the buffer portion is a curved surface portion provided on the inner-side end surface and including a curved surface for rectifying the airflow from the leading-edge portion toward the cob portion The leading-edge high-lift device.

5. The leading-edge high-lift device according to Claim 1, wherein the buffer portion is a fence member provided at the inner-side end, the fence member having a first extending portion that extends toward the fuselage side of the aircraft body more than the inner-side end surface, and a second extending portion that is provided at the tip of the first extending portion and extends toward the leading-edge portion side The leading-edge high-lift device.

6. The leading-edge high-lift device according to Claim 5, wherein the fence member is provided at a part or all of the edge that is the boundary between the inner-side end surface and the inner-side surface of the cob portion The leading-edge high-lift device.

7. The leading-edge high-lift device according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the fence member is composed of a flexible material that can be deformed to be accommodated in the gap between the slat body and the main wing when retracted to the leading edge of the main wing The leading-edge high-lift device.

8. The leading-edge high-lift device according to Claim 1, wherein the buffer portion is a porous layer disposed on at least one of the inner-side end surface and the inner-side surface of the cob portion The leading-edge high-lift device.

9. The leading-edge high-lift device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, The buffer portion is a blade member that forms the cusped portion and has a notch at a corner on the pylon side of the fuselage on the fuselage side of the aircraft. Leading-edge high-lift device.

10. The leading-edge high-lift device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the buffer portion is a blade member that forms the cusped portion, and the blade member has a porous layer provided at an inner-side end portion of the blade member on the fuselage side of the aircraft. Leading-edge high-lift device.

11. A wing equipped with the leading-edge high-lift device according to any one of Claims 1 to 10.

12. An aircraft equipped with the leading-edge high-lift device according to any one of Claims 1 to 10.

13. A buffer member attached to an inner-side end portion of a leading-edge high-lift device that can be deployed and stored with respect to the leading edge of a pylon of an aircraft, the buffer member including a first outer surface portion that is formed between a leading-edge portion and a cob portion of the high-lift device and abuts against an inner-side end surface located on the fuselage side of the aircraft, and a second outer surface portion including a curved surface that rectifies an air flow from the leading-edge portion toward the cob portion. The buffer member comprising the above.

Images