Aerodynamic structure for aircraft wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247769-B2
Application number	US-201916672951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Nov 5, 2018
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

An aerodynamic structure for use on an upper surface of an aircraft wing is disclosed. The wing includes a slat operable between a stowed configuration in which the slat is stowed in a slat recess of the wing, and a deployed configuration in which the slat extends out of the slat recess. When the slat is in the deployed configuration, an end face of the slat recess is exposed, the end face intersecting with the upper surface of the wing at a recess edge. The aerodynamic structure, adjacent to the recess edge, has a volume shaped to encourage air flowing over the recess edge onto the upper surface during flight, to remain attached.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wing for an aircraft, the wing comprising:
a fixed-wing structure having a slat recess; and
a leading-edge slat, the slat being operable between a stowed configuration in which the slat is stowed in the slat recess, and a deployed configuration in which the slat is extended out of the slat recess,
wherein when the slat is in the deployed configuration, an end face of the slat recess is exposed, the end face of the slat recess extending between a rear face of the slat recess and the leading edge of the wing, the end face of the slat recess intersecting with an upper surface of the wing along a recess edge,
wherein the upper surface of the wing comprises an aerodynamic structure adjacent to the recess edge, the aerodynamic structure being arranged to be exposed to airflow when the slat is in the stowed configuration, the aerodynamic structure having a volume shaped to encourage air flowing over the recess edge onto the upper surface during flight, to remain attached,
wherein the volume of the aerodynamic structure has a curved cross-sectional profile taken in a cross section oriented perpendicular to the direction along which the recess edge extends, and
wherein the cross-sectional profile is asymmetrical.

2. A wing according to claim 1 ,
wherein the aerodynamic structure is elongate, and
wherein a longitudinal axis of the aerodynamic structure is substantially aligned with the recess edge and/or with a characteristic chord of the wing.

3. A wing according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wing comprises a wing leading edge, and
wherein the aerodynamic structure has a curvature configured to complement the wing leading edge.

4. A wing according to claim 3 , wherein the aerodynamic structure extends below the wing leading edge.

5. A wing according to claim 3 ,
wherein the aerodynamic structure extends away from the wing leading edge along the upper surface of the wing towards a trailing end of the aerodynamic structure, and
wherein the volume has a longitudinal profile that tapers to a point at the trailing end.

6. A wing according to claim 1 , the wing comprising a wing root fairing for blending the wing to a fuselage, wherein the wing root fairing comprises the recess edge.

7. An aerodynamic structure for use on a wing according to claim 1 .

8. An aerodynamic structure according to claim 7 , the aerodynamic structure comprising an attachment interface configured to attach the aerodynamic structure to the wing.

9. An aerodynamic structure according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional profile is globular at a first lateral end of the aerodynamic structure and tapers to a point at a second lateral end of the aerodynamic structure, the first lateral end to be positioned proximally to the recess edge and the second lateral end to be positioned distally to the recess edge.

10. An aerodynamic structure according to claim 7 , wherein the volume has a thickness of between 30 and 40 mm.

11. A method comprising:
providing a wing for an aircraft, the wing comprising:
a fixed wing structure having a slat recess; and
a leading edge slat, the slat being operable between a stowed configuration in which the slat is stowed in the slat recess, and a deployed configuration in which the slat is extended out of the slat recess, wherein when the slat is in the deployed configuration, an end face of the slat recess is exposed, the end face of the slat recess extending between a rear face of the slat recess and the leading edge of the wing, the end face of the slat recess intersecting with an upper surface of the wing along a recess edge;

mounting an aerodynamic structure on the upper surface of the wing adjacent to the recess edge, the aerodynamic structure being arranged to be exposed to airflow when the slat is in the stowed configuration, the aerodynamic structure having a volume shaped to encourage air flowing over the recess edge onto the upper surface during flight, to remain attached,
wherein the volume of the aerodynamic structure has a curved cross-sectional profile taken in a cross section oriented perpendicular to the direction along which the recess edge extends, and
wherein the cross-sectional profile is asymmetrical.

12. An aerodynamic device system comprising an aerodynamic device and an aircraft wing, wherein the aerodynamic device is mountable on an upper surface of the aircraft wing, the aircraft wing comprising a leading-edge slat operable between a stowed configuration in which the slat is stowed in a slat recess of the wing, and a deployed configuration in which the slat is extended out of the slat recess, wherein when the slat is in the deployed configuration, an end face of the slat recess is exposed, the end face of the slat recess extending between a rear face of the slat recess and the leading edge of the wing, the end face of the slat recess intersecting with the upper surface of the wing along a recess edge, the aerodynamic device comprising:
a base; and
a volume defining a cross-sectional profile of the device taken in a cross section oriented perpendicular to the direction along which the recess edge extends, wherein the cross-sectional profile is curved and asymmetrical,
wherein the cross-sectional profile is globular at a first end of the device and tapers to a point at a second end of the device, the second end being opposite the first end,
wherein the first end is to be positioned proximally to the recess edge and the second end is to be positioned distally to the recess edge such that, with the base mounted on the upper surface of the wing and adjacent to the recess edge, the volume is operable to encourage air flowing over the recess edge onto the upper surface during flight, to remain attached.

13. An aircraft comprising a wing and a fuselage, the wing extending from the fuselage at a wing root, and the wing comprising a wing root fairing for blending a leading edge of the wing into the fuselage at the wing root,
wherein the wing comprises a slat recess in the leading edge of the wing for housing a deployable slat, the slat recess having a rearward face recessed from the leading edge of the wing, and inboard and outboard end faces of the recess extending between the rearward face and the wing leading edge at inboard and outboard ends of the slat recess respectively,
wherein the aircraft comprises a bulbous aerodynamic device located at the junction between the inboard end face and the wing root fairing, the device being arranged to be exposed to airflow when the slat is stowed, the curvature of the device being configured to encourage attachment of air flowing onto the wing root fairing from the slat recess, when the slat is deployed,
wherein the volume of the aerodynamic structure has a curved cross-sectional profile taken in a cross section oriented perpendicular to the direction along which the recess edge extends, and
wherein the cross-sectional profile is asymmetrical.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Hui Ching-Yu
• Lyons Neil John

Classifications

• B64C5/08

  mounted on, or supported by, wings · CPC title

• Y02T50/30

  Wing lift efficiency · CPC title

• B64C23/005 Primary

  by other means not covered by groups B64C23/02 - B64C23/08, e.g. by electric charges, magnetic panels, piezoelectric elements, static charges or ultrasounds · CPC title

• B64C2230/00

  Boundary layer controls · CPC title

• B64C21/00

  Influencing air flow over aircraft surfaces by affecting boundary layer flow · CPC title