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Towards extending the aircraft flight envelope by mitigating transonic airfoil buffet
Esther Lagemann1,2, Steven L Brunton3, Wolfgang Schröder4
1AI Institute in Dynamic Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA. elage@uw.edu.
Nature Communications
|June 12, 2024
Summary
Porous trailing edges experimentally reduce transonic buffet, a dangerous wing vibration in high-speed aircraft. This innovation could enable faster air travel with lower noise emissions.
Area of Science:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Fluid Dynamics
- Aeroelasticity
Background:
- Commercial aviation is vital for global connectivity, but high-speed flight is limited by transonic buffet.
- Transonic buffet involves shock wave oscillations on wings, causing vibrations and potentially damaging structural loads.
- Suppressing buffet is crucial for extending aircraft operational limits and enhancing flight safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the effectiveness of porous trailing edges in mitigating transonic buffet.
- To explore the potential of porous trailing edges for improving aircraft performance and reducing noise.
Main Methods:
- Experimental demonstration of porous trailing edge application on aircraft wings.
- Analysis of buffet phenomenon attenuation under transonic flight conditions.
Main Results:
- Porous trailing edges were shown to substantially attenuate the transonic buffet phenomenon.
- The application of porous trailing edges demonstrated a reduction in buffet intensity.
Conclusions:
- Porous trailing edges offer a promising solution for suppressing transonic buffet.
- This technology could enable faster air transport while simultaneously reducing acoustic emissions.
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