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COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
AERODYNAMIC STUDY OF THE USE OF A TELESCOPIC WINGLET IN AN AGRICULTURE AIRCRAFT
Submission Author:
Daniel de Paula , SP
Co-Authors:
Daniel de Paula, Joel Laguardia Campos Reis, João Paulo Eguea
Presenter: Daniel de Paula
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-0906
Abstract
Agricultural aircraft have proven to be important assets in a wide range of sectors due to their versatility. These aircraft are mostly used for crop spraying, which involves applying fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to crops. While on these flights, the aircraft frequently performs low-altitude maneuvers like wingovers that could place it in stall-threatened flight conditions. In this context, improving the aircraft's rate of climb using wingtip devices, particularly winglets, can be beneficial for the agriculture mission. These aerodynamic devices are employed to reduce the induced drag generated by wingtip vortices, which enhances lift and overall aircraft performance. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the aerodynamic effects of the use of morphing telescopic winglet on agricultural aircraft through numerical simulations. The telescopic aspect of the winglet refers to its ability to expand or retract its only one moveable segment, producing a variable span. Doing so, the winglet can adjust its shape using this technology to accommodate different flight scenarios. The study utilizes a 3D Vortex-Lattice Method (VLM) to predict aerodynamic properties of a wing using two-dimensional airfoil characteristics. The research was conducted using an EMB-202 Ipanema wing-based model to investigate the effects of different winglet configurations on the aerodynamics and performance aspects of the aircraft. For this, a total of six winglet variants were investigated. These different winglet configurations were evaluated to verify if the variation of its span while in flight can improve the performance of the aircraft by reducing induced drag, enhancing operational safety, optimizing fuel efficiency, reducing emissions, and lowering overall operational costs.
Keywords
Agriculture Aircraft, induced drag, Winglet, Telescopic winglet, vortex-lattice
