Effects of a Leading Edge Wire on Stall Control
Faculty Mentor Name
Lance Traub
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
Along with lift and drag, one of the most important characteristics of an airfoil or wing is how it stalls. The angle of attack at stall and how violent the stall is can drastically effect the usefulness or ability of a wing or airfoil to perform certain tasks. There are several methods currently used on aircraft to adjust the stall characteristics of a wing, these modify the shape of the wing through deflecting leading and or trailing edge surfaces in the form of flaps and slats. Flaps and Slats have proven to be very effective on large (manned) aircraft. However, as aviation vehicles continue to get smaller and smaller, in the form of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), these moving surfaces contribute a substantial weight penalty due to the complexity of their mechanism’s, and the devices needed to move them. The idea behind spanning a thin wire in front of the leading edge of the wing is that the vortex street it causes will inevitably strike the leading edge of the wing and potentially promote boundary layer transition from laminar to turbulent flow, thus making it harder for the wing to stall. Wind tunnel testing has shown that the presence of the wire has a profound impact on both the angle of attack at which the wing stalls, and effects how violent, or docile the stall is.
Poster Presentation
EAGLE PRIZE AWARD
Location
AC1-ATRIUM
Start Date
4-8-2016 1:00 PM
End Date
4-8-2016 3:00 PM
Effects of a Leading Edge Wire on Stall Control
AC1-ATRIUM
Along with lift and drag, one of the most important characteristics of an airfoil or wing is how it stalls. The angle of attack at stall and how violent the stall is can drastically effect the usefulness or ability of a wing or airfoil to perform certain tasks. There are several methods currently used on aircraft to adjust the stall characteristics of a wing, these modify the shape of the wing through deflecting leading and or trailing edge surfaces in the form of flaps and slats. Flaps and Slats have proven to be very effective on large (manned) aircraft. However, as aviation vehicles continue to get smaller and smaller, in the form of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), these moving surfaces contribute a substantial weight penalty due to the complexity of their mechanism’s, and the devices needed to move them. The idea behind spanning a thin wire in front of the leading edge of the wing is that the vortex street it causes will inevitably strike the leading edge of the wing and potentially promote boundary layer transition from laminar to turbulent flow, thus making it harder for the wing to stall. Wind tunnel testing has shown that the presence of the wire has a profound impact on both the angle of attack at which the wing stalls, and effects how violent, or docile the stall is.
Poster Presentation
EAGLE PRIZE AWARD