Deployable Vortex Generators for Wing Buffet Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Swept wing aircraft experience aerodynamic buffet and asymmetric stall at high angles of attack due to unsteady transonic tip shockwaves, which are difficult to predict and mitigate using existing analytical tools and devices, leading to performance degradation and increased drag.
Innovation Solution
A deployable vortex generation apparatus integrated with leading edge lift augmentation devices, featuring serrated trailing edges that generate vortices over the wing surface to stabilize airflow and reduce buffet-induced shockwaves, deployed only during high alpha conditions to minimize drag and weight penalties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vortex generators are attached to the wing leading edge to energize airflow at high angles of attack, then buffet and asymmetric stall are mitigated, but drag penalty increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vortex generators are made deployable rather than fixed, allowing them to be extended only when high angle of attack conditions are detected. This dynamic deployment ensures buffet mitigation is active only when needed, eliminating continuous drag penalty during normal flight conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the deployment state of vortex generators based on flight parameters (angle of attack, Mach number). By monitoring these parameters and adjusting VG deployment accordingly, the system optimizes between buffet protection and drag minimization based on current flight conditions.
2Force
If leading edge lift augmentation devices are deployed to improve wing performance at low speeds and high angles of attack, then lift is increased, but drag increases
Solution Approach 1:
The leading edge lift augmentation devices are configured to deploy dynamically in response to detected high angle of attack conditions. This ensures lift augmentation is active only when needed for buffet protection, minimizing drag during cruise and normal flight operations.
3Reliability
If vortex generators are made fixed in place to provide continuous buffet protection, then reliability is improved, but drag penalty increases continuously
Solution Approach 1:
The vortex generators transition from a fixed configuration to a deployable configuration, enabling them to be extended only during high angle of attack conditions where buffet protection is needed. This eliminates continuous drag penalty while maintaining reliable buffet protection when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The vortex generators are deployed periodically based on flight conditions rather than continuously. The system monitors angle of attack and Mach number, deploying VGs only during transonic buffet-prone conditions, thereby providing protection when needed while minimizing energy loss during normal flight.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively attenuates wing buffet and asymmetric stall while maintaining low drag and weight, improving aircraft handling and reducing the need for extensive airframe modifications, with enhanced compatibility for low-observable aircraft designs.
Implementation Method 1
A vortex generation apparatus may include a vortex generator carried by an aircraft wing that includes a main wing body and a leading edge lift augmentation device
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
AI summary
In response to deployment of a wing leading edge lift augmentation device (16) a vortex generator (12) deploys into a position to generate vortices (20) over a main wing body upper surface region (19) trailing the vortex generator. The leading edge lift augmentation device (16) may comprise a leading edge flap (21) having a flap seal portion (22) with the vortex generator (12) incorporated into a trailing edge (23) of the flap seal portion (22), which edge lays flat along the upper wing surface contour (19) of the main wing body (18) when the leading edge flap (21) is stowed but projects away from the upper wing surface contour (19) when the leading edge flap (21) is deployed.