Innovative Control Effectors for Maneuvering of Air Vehicles

Abstract

Flow control is a rapidly developing key technological area which is subject to extensive research as it offers the potential to enhance aircraft aerodynamic performance, control, and maneuverability. The current paper details the methods and the results of a research which envisions assisting the newly formed NATO Task Group STO-AVT-239, with assessing the ability of modern active flow control actuators to improve the performance of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV). The project was supported by the ACE Undergraduate Research Topics Program at IIT and investigated the feasibility of the Coanda effect in achieving Circulation Control (CC) in order to produce rolling motion in cruise. Understanding of the performance of the SACCON airframe design and the complex vortex dominated flow field around was achieved through research papers and previous work of NATO Task Groups. It was discovered that a mid-span vortex influences and disturbs the flow above the control surfaces diminishing their effectiveness. A simple freeware computer code was used to predict the behavior of the airframe and the results were compared to experiment. The predictive abilities of the code were assessed to be good given the limitations of the software. Along with the airframe, CC was researched inorder to predict its maneuver control capabilities.The experimental data and the computationalpredictions were then used in combination witha semi-empirical aileron control model to predictthe aileron effectiveness and compare it tothe CC results. In order to be able to apply forresearch funding from appropriate institutions,a windtunnel experiment was designed andplanned to be conducted to validate the developedmodel.