Performance enhancement of a Box-Wing airliner with the application of riblets

Abstract

The rapid growth of the commercial aviation sector in recent years, as well as the ambitious emission reduction targets, necessitate the investigation of novel methods to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of future airliners. With increasing passenger demand and evolving industry requirements, innovative designs, like the Box-Wing aircraft configuration, and flow control techniques, such as riblets, are essential to enhance efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and meet future aviation needs. In this work, the performance enhancement of a novel Box-Wing airliner with the application of riblets is investigated through CFD modeling. The riblets are small, streamwise grooves aligned with the airflow, which when applied correctly, can reduce the turbulent skin friction drag. The riblets installed on the aircraft are modeled through a dedicated surrogate model, based on the cross-section area of their groove. In this study, both optimal size riblets, as well as constant size riblets, have been examined, assessing the performance degradation associated with the practical application limitations. The results show that the riblets can improve the aircraft’s aerodynamic characteristics, with a maximum drag reduction of 60 drag counts, as well as the overall flight performance, providing a maximum increase of 6.4% in payload and 13.3% in range.