Wing for an aircraft, aircraft and method for reducing aerodynamic drag and improving maximum lift

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9278753-B2
Application number	US-201313851330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2012
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A wing for an aircraft includes a leading edge and a wing tip extension extending from an end of a main wing region to a wing tip. The wing tip extension includes an arrangement of openings at least from the end of a main wing region to the wing tip along the leading edge, which openings are connected to an air conveying device for conveying air through the openings. Thereby in flight states with a low flight velocity the flow around a wing tip extension can be harmonized such that the drag is decreased and the lift of the wing is increased.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wing for an aircraft, comprising:
a main wing;
a leading edge;
a wing tip extension extending from an end of the main wing to a wing tip; and
a leading edge high lift device arrangement along the main wing, the leading edge high lift device arrangement including an outboard leading edge high lift device adjacent to the wing tip, the outboard leading edge high lift device having an outer edge at an end face facing the wing tip such that when the outboard leading edge high lift device is deployed the end face is located in an upstream location influencing the flow around or impinging onto the wing tip extension,
wherein the wing tip extension comprises an arrangement of openings at least from the end of a main wing region to the wing tip along the leading edge, said openings connected to an air conveying device for conveying air through the openings; and
wherein the arrangement of openings extends for up to 20% of the wingspan from the outer edge at the end face of the outboard leading edge high lift device in an inboard direction toward the main wing.

2. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of openings is positioned in the proximity of the region with the highest flow instability in terms of separation tendency on the wing with extended high lift devices.

3. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the openings are selected from a group of openings, the group consisting of
at least one bore hole,
at least one slit introduced into the surface of the wing in a direction parallel to the leading edge,
at least one slit introduced into the surface of the wing in a direction normal to the leading edge,
at least one slit introduced into the surface of the surface element in a direction at an angle to the leading edge.

4. The wing of claim 1 ,
wherein the arrangement of openings comprises at least one of bore holes and slits with a first angle in a plane normal to a global flow vector and a second angle parallel to the local flow vector.

5. The wing of claim 1 , further comprising a front wing spar; and a nose element attached to the front wing spar, wherein the openings extend into the front wing spar or are connected to an air line in the front wing spar.

6. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the conveying device is adapted for sucking off air through the openings.

7. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the conveying device is adapted for blowing out air through the openings.

8. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the conveying device is connected to a compressed air line and is connectable to the openings in a fluidic manner.

9. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the conveying device is connected to a suction air line and is connectable to the openings in a fluidic manner.

10. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the conveying device is configured as a compressor in fluidic connection to the openings or wherein the conveying device is connected to an air sucking device and is connectable to openings in a fluidic manner.

11. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the conveying device is adapted for blowing out and sucking off air through the openings in an alternating manner.

12. The wing of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of openings extends for up to 30% of the wing root chord from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

13. A method for reducing aerodynamic drag and improving maximum lift, comprising conveying air through an arrangement of openings in a wing tip extension from an end of a main wing region to a wing tip by an air conveying device, the main wing region comprising a leading edge high lift device arrangement including an outboard leading edge high lift device adjacent to the wing tip and having an outer edge at an end face facing the wing tip such that when the outboard leading edge high lift device is deployed the end face is located in an upstream location influencing the flow around or impinging onto the wing tip extension,
wherein the arrangement of openings extends for up to 20% of the wingspan from the outer edge of an outboard leading edge high lift device in an inboard direction toward the main wing.

14. An aircraft, comprising a wing, said wing comprising:
a main wing;
a leading edge;
a wing tip extension extending from an end of the main wing to a wing tip; and
a leading edge high lift device arrangement along the main wing, the leading edge high lift device arrangement including an outboard leading edge high lift device adjacent to the wing tip, the outboard leading edge high lift device having an outer edge at an end face facing the wing tip such that when the outboard leading edge high lift device is deployed the end face is located in an upstream location influencing the flow around or impinging onto the wing tip extension,
wherein the wing tip extension comprises an arrangement of openings at least from the end of a main wing region to the wing tip along the leading edge, said openings connected to an air conveying device for conveying air through the openings; and
wherein the arrangement of openings extends for up to 20% of the wingspan from the outer edge at the end face of the outboard leading edge high lift device in an inboard direction toward the main wing.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Reckzeh Daniel
• Goelling Burkhard
• Lengers Matthias

Classifications

• Y02T50/166

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C23/065 Primary

  at the wing tips · CPC title

• B64C21/02

  by use of slot, ducts, porous areas or the like · CPC title

• Y02T50/164

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C23/069 Primary

  using one or more wing tip airfoil devices, e.g. winglets, splines, wing tip fences or raked wingtips · CPC title