Wing comprising a leading edge slat and having means for preventing the transition to a turbulent boundary layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027820-B2
Application number	US-201816180194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A wing comprising a fixed main part and a leading edge slat with upper and lower surface rear edges. The wing main part has an upper surface wall, which extends downstream and in alignment with the upper surface rear edge, and a lower surface wall, which extends downstream and in alignment with the lower surface rear edge. The wing has an upper surface gap between the end of the upper surface rear edge and the end of the upper surface wall and a lower surface gap between the end of the lower surface rear edge and the end of the lower surface wall. The wing has an upper surface channel downstream of the upper surface gap and a lower surface channel downstream of the lower surface gap. The wing comprises a suction system connected to each channel and arranged to suck the air contained in the channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wing of an aircraft, said wing comprising:
a fixed main part;
a movable leading edge slat at a front of the main part between a retracted position, in which the leading edge slat is adjoined to the front of the main part, and a deployed position, in which the leading edge slat is lifted forwardly of the front of the main part,
the leading edge slat having an upper surface rear edge, which, in the retracted position, is alongside an upper surface of the main part, and a lower surface rear edge, which, in the retracted position, is alongside a lower surface of the main part,
the wing main part comprising an upper surface wall, which, in the retracted position of the leading edge slat, extends downstream and in alignment with the upper surface rear edge, and a lower surface wall, which, in the retracted position of the leading edge slat, extends downstream and in alignment with the lower surface rear edge,

wherein the wing has, in the retracted position of the leading edge slat, an upper surface gap between an end of the upper surface rear edge of the leading edge slat and an end of the upper surface wall of the main part that are facing each other, and a lower surface gap between an end of the lower surface rear edge of the leading edge slat and an end of the lower surface wall of the main part that are facing each other,
wherein the wing has an upper surface channel downstream of the upper surface gap and a lower surface channel downstream of the lower surface gap, and
wherein the wing comprises a suction system connected to each channel and arranged to suck air contained in said channel, the suction system arranged inside the main part.

2. The wing according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wing comprises an upper surface seal, which, in the retracted position, is positioned between the main part and the leading edge slat in a vicinity of and upstream of the upper surface gap, and
wherein the wing comprises a lower surface seal, which, in the retracted position, is positioned between the main part and the leading edge slat in a vicinity of and upstream of the lower surface gap.

3. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the leading edge slat comprises, in an extension of at least one of the rear edges thereof, a plurality of teeth, each of which extends from said rear edge and, in the retracted position, up to the end of the wall of the facing main part.

4. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the end of at least one wall that is facing a rear edge of the leading edge slat assumes a castellated shape and the rear edge assumes a substantially complementary castellated shape and the leading edge slat comprises a plurality of teeth, each of which extends from said rear edge and, in the retracted position, up to the end of the wall of the facing main part.

5. An aircraft comprising at least one wing according to claim 1 .

6. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the suction system is formed by one suction pump for each channel.

7. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the suction system is formed by a single suction pump for the upper surface channel and the lower surface channel.

8. The wing according to claim 1 , wherein the suction system is a pressure zone of a turboshaft engine of the aircraft.

9. A wing of an aircraft, comprising:
a fixed main part;
a leading edge slat positioned at a front of the main part movable between a retracted position, in which the leading edge slat abuts the front of the main part, and a deployed position, in which the leading edge slat is lifted forwardly of the front of the main part,
the leading edge slat having an upper surface rear edge, which, in the retracted position, is positioned alongside an upper surface of the main part, and a lower surface rear edge, which, in the retracted position, is positioned alongside a lower surface of the main part,
the wing main part comprising an upper surface wall, which, in the retracted position of the leading edge slat, extends downstream and in alignment with the upper surface rear edge, and a lower surface wall, which, in the retracted position of the leading edge slat, extends downstream and in alignment with the lower surface rear edge,

wherein the wing has, in the retracted position of the leading edge slat, an upper surface gap between an end of the upper surface rear edge of the leading edge slat which faces an end of the upper surface wall of the main part, and a lower surface gap between an end of the lower surface rear edge of the leading edge slat which faces an end of the lower surface wall of the main part,
wherein the wing has an upper surface channel downstream of the upper surface gap and a lower surface channel downstream of the lower surface gap, and
wherein the wing comprises a suction system connected to each channel and arranged to suck air contained in said channels, the suction system arranged inside the main part.

10. The wing according to claim 9 ,
wherein the wing comprises an upper surface seal, which, in the retracted position, is positioned between the main part and the leading edge slat in a vicinity of and upstream of the upper surface gap, and
wherein the wing comprises a lower surface seal, which, in the retracted position, is positioned between the main part and the leading edge slat in a vicinity of and upstream of the lower surface gap.

11. The wing according to claim 9 , wherein the leading edge slat comprises, in an extension of at least one of the rear edges thereof, a plurality of teeth, each of which extends from said at least one rear edge and, in the retracted position, up to the end of the wall of the facing main part.

12. The wing according to claim 9 , wherein the end of at least one wall that is facing a rear edge of the leading edge slat assumes a castellated shape and the rear edge assumes a substantially complementary castellated shape and the leading edge slat comprises a plurality of teeth, each of which extends from said rear edge and, in the retracted position, up to the end of the wall of the facing main part.

13. An aircraft comprising at least one wing according to claim 9 .

14. The wing according to claim 9 , wherein the suction system is formed by one suction pump for each channel.

15. The wing according to claim 9 , wherein the suction system is formed by a single suction pump for the upper surface channel and the lower surface channel.

16. The wing according to claim 6 , wherein the suction system is a pressure zone of a turboshaft engine of the aircraft.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Farouz-Fouquet Mathias

Classifications

• B64C2003/143

  comprising interior channels · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• B64C3/28

  Leading or trailing edges attached to primary structures, e.g. forming fixed slots · CPC title

• B64C9/24 Primary

  by single flap · CPC title

• B64C2003/146

  comprising leading edges of particular shape · CPC title