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CN-110775253-B - Flow body of aircraft and aircraft

CN110775253BCN 110775253 BCN110775253 BCN 110775253BCN-110775253-B

Abstract

A flow body (10) of an aircraft, comprising a flow surface (11) exposed to an airflow during flight of the aircraft, the flow surface (11) creating at least one region (24) of turbulent air flow during flight of the aircraft, at least one perforated region comprising a plurality of openings (32) extending through the flow surface (11), a manifold (14) positioned inside the flow surface (11) in fluid communication with the openings (32), and at least one suction tube (28) having a first end (27) and a second end (29), the first end (27) being in fluid communication with the manifold (14), the second end (29) comprising a suction opening (20) and being arranged in the at least one region (24) of turbulent air flow, wherein the suction opening (20) is adapted to cause suction of the plurality of openings (32) in the at least one suction tube (28) when the flow surface (11) is exposed to an airflow during flight. The present invention provides a flow body (10) with improved air flow.

Inventors

  • Peter Croyzer

Assignees

  • 空中客车德国运营有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20190726
Priority Date
20180730

Claims (11)

  1. 1. A flow body (10) of an aircraft, the flow body comprising: a flow surface (11) exposed to an air flow during the flight of the aircraft, the flow surface (11) creating at least one zone (24) of turbulent air flow during the flight of the aircraft, At least one perforated region comprising a plurality of openings (32) extending through the flow surface (11), A manifold (14) positioned inside the flow surface (11) in fluid communication with the opening (32), and At least one suction tube (28) having a first end (27) and a second end (29), the first end (27) being in fluid communication with the manifold (14), the second end (29) comprising a suction opening (20) and being arranged in the region (24) of the at least one turbulent air flow, Wherein the suction opening (20) is adapted for inducing a suction force in the at least one suction tube (28) when the flow surface (11) is exposed to an air flow during flight, thereby inducing an air flow through the plurality of openings (32), Wherein the flow body is an airfoil comprising one or more of an aircraft wing (12), winglet (37), vertical tail (36), or horizontal tail (38), Wherein the airfoil is an aircraft wing comprising lift enhancing devices (30) configured to be arranged in the manifold (14), and Wherein the lift force enhancing device is a krueger lift force enhancing device.
  2. 2. The flow body according to claim 1, wherein the flow body (10) comprises a plurality of suction pipes (28).
  3. 3. The flow body according to claim 2, wherein the flow surface (11) generates a plurality of regions (24) of turbulent air flow spaced apart from each other during the flight of the aircraft, and wherein the plurality of suction pipes (28) are arranged separately in the plurality of regions (24) of turbulent air flow.
  4. 4. A flow body according to claim 3, wherein the manifold (14) comprises a plurality of manifold segments (16), wherein each manifold segment of the plurality of manifold segments (16) is arranged on separate portions of the at least one perforated region.
  5. 5. The flow body of claim 4, wherein the plurality of suction tubes (28) and the plurality of manifold segments (16) are associated with one another in a one-to-one ratio.
  6. 6. Flow body according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the manifold sections (16) are separated by walls (26).
  7. 7. The flow body of claim 6, wherein the wall (26) provides an airtight seal between the manifold sections (16).
  8. 8. The flow body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 7, wherein each suction tube of the at least one suction tube (28) comprises a cross section adapted to the pressure value at the location of the suction opening (20) in the region (24) of turbulent air flow.
  9. 9. The flow body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 7, wherein the flow surface (11) comprises a turbulence generating structure (22) that generates a region (24) of the at least one turbulent air flow.
  10. 10. The flow body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 7, wherein the flow body (10) comprises a leading edge (18) facing the airflow during flight, wherein the at least one perforated region is arranged at the leading edge (18).
  11. 11. An aircraft (40) comprising at least one flow body (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Description

Flow body of aircraft and aircraft The present invention relates to a flow body comprising a flow surface exposed to an airflow during flight of an aircraft, and an aircraft comprising a flow body. During airborne flight, the flow body provides the aircraft with forces and drag that generate lift. When the air flow flowing around the flow body maintains a laminar flow, the resistance generated by the flow body may be partially reduced. A mixed laminar flow control (HLFC) system may be used to increase and control the laminar flow of air flow around the flow body and thus may be used to reduce drag. HLFC systems are capable of reducing drag by providing suction of boundary layer air flow to the flow body. This causes an increase in laminar flow and thus significantly reduces frictional drag on the aerodynamic surface of the flow body. Suction generated by HLFC systems may be provided by passive devices, for example using low pressure area sources, or by active devices, for example using suction pumps. EP 3 199,450 A1 describes an example of a passive HLFC system in which a chamber is arranged on the leading edge of the wing. The perforations in the leading edge provide openings to the chamber. The tube extending along the chamber is connected to a suction opening arranged in the low pressure region during flight. Suction caused at the suction opening causes an air flow through the tube from the perforated portion to the tube. It is desirable to provide a flow body comprising an improved air flow. This object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims and the following description. According to the invention, a flow body of an aircraft comprises a flow surface exposed to an air flow during flight of the aircraft, the flow surface creating at least one region of turbulent air flow during flight of the aircraft, at least one perforated region comprising a plurality of openings extending through the flow surface, a manifold positioned inside the flow surface in fluid communication with the openings, and at least one suction tube having a first end in fluid communication with the manifold and a second end comprising a suction opening and arranged in the at least one region of turbulent air flow, wherein the suction opening is adapted to cause suction in the at least one suction tube when the flow surface is exposed to an air flow during flight, thereby causing an air flow through the plurality of openings. The present invention provides a passive HLFC system having at least one suction tube that draws air from a manifold of a flow body, wherein the suction openings of the suction tube are arranged in the region of turbulent air flow near the surface of the flow body. Since the suction opening is positioned within the area of the at least one turbulent air flow, the interference created by the suction tube and/or the suction opening in the remaining laminar flow is minimized. This avoids placing the outlet in a region where laminar flow may otherwise be achieved, and avoids increasing the area of turbulent air flow at the flow surface. Thus, the positioning of the at least one suction tube produces minimal influence in the laminar flow region, thereby reducing drag losses due to turbulence produced by the at least one suction tube. During flight, the region of turbulent air flow may be caused by the flow surface itself, for example by the leading edge or by a part of the flow body protruding from the flow surface. The suction opening is in fluid communication with the manifold through the suction tube. Suction forces caused by the airflow along the flow surface at the suction opening during flight cause the airflow from the manifold to pass through the suction tube and the suction opening. This causes air flow to enter the manifold through the plurality of openings of the perforated region. Drawing some of the boundary layer through the perforations (i.e., the plurality of openings) reduces the thickness of the boundary layer, thereby establishing or enhancing the laminar flow of the air stream. According to an example, wherein the flow body comprises a plurality of suction tubes. In that example, suction is provided at multiple suction openings such that failure of a single suction tube does not result in complete failure of HLFC systems. If one of the plurality of suction tubes fails, the remaining still-functioning suction tubes may maintain an air flow through the opening of the perforated area. Thus, the air flow between the openings of the perforated area and the suction opening is improved. According to an example, the flow surface generates a plurality of regions of turbulent air flow spaced apart from each other during flight of the aircraft, and wherein the plurality of suction ducts are arranged in separate regions of turbulent air flow among the plurality of regions of turbulent air flow. The suction ducts and thus the su