Analýza nekonvenčných aerodynamických konfigurácií lietadiel

Abstract

This article deals with the research and analysis of unconventional aerodynamic configurations of aircraft, developed in the aerospace industry. Primary CFD simulations of the respective models were used for the purpose of research and analysing the configurations, as well as analysis of the airflow around the 3D models in the wind tunnel of Air Transport Department. The aim was to find out why these configurations are not being used, or why they should be used in the aviation industry nowadays. The analysis was carried out mainly from an aerodynamic point of view. The different models were chosen based mainly on IATA’s forecast of trends in air transport. From the analyses, it was found that certain models are more efficient than their conventional counterparts, mainly due to the reduction in induced drag. However, these configurations are also much more sensitive to flutter due to the high aspect ratio, which poses a challenge especially from a structural point of view. Ti can therefore be assumed that the reason for not using these configurations represent a significant reduction in operating costs, they are unprofitable for operators. In contrast, BWB configurations appear very promising in terms of both efficiency and fuel savings, and it is therefore assumed that these models may enter service in 2030.