Real-Time Drag Opti-mization Control Framework

About this technology

Overview

Fuel efficiency is a major aircraft design consideration. Current and future-generation aircraft wing technology is moving toward lightweight, flexible, and high aspect ratio wing design. Wing flexibility can adversely impact aircraft performance, structural integrity, stability, and control. The aerodynamic performance of the aircraft wings can vary greatly over the flight envelope too. Without changing the wing shapes, an increase in drag can incur during cruise, thereby, causing an increase in the fuel consumption, hence fuel cost. NASA Ames has developed a novel technology that is ideally suited for transport aircraft wings ranging from stiff metallic wings to flexible composite wings that are susceptible to aeroelastic deflections during flight. This enabling technology includes a method and process for optimizing drag in real-time using distributed flight control surfaces to change the shape of the wing in-flight, and helps counteract the aeroelastic effects introduced by flexible wings. This improves both aerodynamic performance and fuel efficiency.