Supersonic biplane—A review

One of the fundamental problems preventing commercial transport aircraft from supersonic flight is the generation of strong sonic booms. Sonic booms are the ground-level manifestation of shock waves created by airplanes flying at supersonic speeds. The strength of the shock waves generated by an aircraft flying at supersonic speed is a direct function of both the aircraft’s weight and its occupying volume; it has been very difficult to sufficiently reduce the shock waves generated by the heavier and larger conventional supersonic transport (SST) configuration to meet acceptable at-ground sonic-boom levels. It is our dream to develop a quiet SST aircraft that can carry more than 100 passengers while meeting acceptable at-ground sonic-boom levels. We have started a supersonic-biplane project at Tohoku University since 2004. We meet the challenge of quiet SST flight by extending the classic two-dimensional (2-D) Busemann biplane concept to a 3-D supersonic-biplane wing that effectively reduces the shock waves generated by the aircraft. A lifted airfoil at supersonic speeds, in general, generates shock waves (therefore, wave drag) through two fundamentally different mechanisms. One is due to the airfoil’s lift, and the other is due to its thickness. Multi-airfoil configurations can reduce wave drag by redistributing the system’s total lift among the individual airfoil elements, knowing that wave drag of an airfoil element is proportional to the square of its lift. Likewise, the wave drag due to airfoil thickness can also be nearly eliminated using the Busemann biplane concept, which promotes favorable wave interactions between two neighboring airfoil elements. One of the main objectives of our supersonic-biplane study is, with the help of modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools, to find biplane configurations that simultaneously exhibit both traits. We first re-analyzed using CFD tools, the classic Busemann biplane configurations to understand its basic wave-cancellation concept. We then designed a 2-D supersonic biplane that exhibits both wave-reduction and cancellation effects simultaneously, utilizing an inverse-design method. The designed supersonic biplane not only showed the desired aerodynamic characteristics at its design condition but also outperformed a zero-thickness flat-plate airfoil. (Zero-thickness flat-plate airfoils are known as the most efficient monoplane airfoil at supersonic speeds.) Also discussed in this paper is how to design 2-D biplanes, not only at their design Mach numbers but also at off-design conditions. Supersonic biplanes have unacceptable characteristics at their off-design conditions such as flow choking and its related hysteresis problems. Flow choking causes rapid increase of wave drag and it continues to be kept up to the Mach numbers greater the cruise (design) Mach numbers due to its hysteresis. Some wing devices such as slats and flaps, which could be used at take-off and landing conditions as high-lift devices, were utilized to overcome these off-design problems. Then supersonic-biplane airfoils were extended to 3-D wings. Because that rectangular-shaped 3-D biplane wings showed undesirable aerodynamic characteristics at their wingtips, a tapered-wing planform was chosen for the study. A 3-D biplane wing having a taper ratio and aspect ratio of 0.25 and 5.12, respectively, was designed utilizing the inverse-design method. Aerodynamic characteristics of the designed biplane wing were further improved by using winglets at its wingtips. Flow choking and its hysteresis problems, however, occurred at their off-design conditions. It was shown that these off-design problems could also be resolved by utilizing slats and flaps. Finally, a study on the aerodynamic characteristics of wing-body configurations was conducted using the tapered biplane wing. In this study a body was chosen in order to generate strong shock waves at its nose region. Preliminary parametric studies on the interference effects between the body and the tapered biplane wing were performed by choosing several different wing locations on the body. From this study, it can be concluded that the aerodynamic characteristics of the tapered biplane wing are minimally affected by the disturbances generated from the body, and that the biplane wing shows promise for quiet commercial supersonic transport.     

机翼前缘后掠角对飞机RCS影响的数值模拟

为了在飞机总体设计时改善其隐身性能,对机翼前缘后掠角参数化可调的飞机三维数字样机的RCS特性进行了研究。使用CATIA软件,建立机翼前缘后掠角参数化可调的飞机三维数字样机;基于物理光学法和等效电磁流法,采用RCSAnsys软件,使用X波段雷达对飞机进行探测,雷达入射波的俯仰角在-15＆#176;、0＆#176;和15＆#176;条件下,数值模拟机翼前缘后掠角在-30＆#176;~＋60＆#176;之间变化时飞机的RCS特性,并对数值模拟结果进行数理统计分析。在机翼前缘后掠角变化的条件下,飞机RCS特性数值模拟结果表明：飞机头向RCS峰值之一的方位角与机翼前缘后掠角的角度相等;飞机头向RCS算术平均值特性为直机翼大、前掠翼和后掠翼小、大后掠翼更小;飞机侧向和尾向的RCS算术平均值变化相对不大。     

螺旋桨滑流对短舱/机翼构型尾迹流场的影响

螺旋桨滑流对飞机机翼表面流动和尾迹流场有重要的影响，进而改变机翼和飞机的性能。本文通过风洞试验方法开展了螺旋桨滑流对尾迹流场的影响研究。试验模型为后掠角4°、带增升装置的螺旋桨/短舱/机翼模型，试验构型包括襟翼收回和襟翼打开，试验策略是在两种构型下分别同时模拟真实飞行状态的拉力系数和前进比。通过比较有/无螺旋桨时空间尾迹流场的速度场和流动偏角等，分析滑流在尾迹流场中的发展规律和影响范围，研究尾迹流场中滑流的加速效应、下洗和侧洗效应等。结果表明，在滑流作用下，机翼远后方流场参数在机翼展向和垂直方向上均呈现复杂的变化；同时，襟翼收回和襟翼打开构型的滑流效应有明显的区别，影响规律也有所不同。     

长航时无人机机翼平面参数及翼型选择分析

根据影响螺旋桨式长航时无人机和喷气式长航时无人机续航性能的不同因素,分析了机翼面积(翼载)、展弦比、尖削比、后掠角等参数以及翼型对这两种长航时无人机续航性能的影响,所得结论可为长航时无人机的设计提供参考。     

Research of low boom and low drag supersonic aircraft design

Sonic boom reduction will be an issue of utmost importance in future supersonic transport, due to strong regulations on acoustic nuisance. The paper describes a new multi-objective optimization method for supersonic aircraft design. The method is developed by coupling Seebass–George–Darden(SGD) inverse design method and multi-objective genetic algorithm.Based on the method, different codes are developed. Using a computational architecture, a conceptual supersonic aircraft design environment(CSADE) is constructed. The architecture of CSADE includes inner optimization level and out optimization level. The low boom configuration is generated in inner optimization level by matching the target equivalent area distribution and actual equivalent area distribution. And low boom/low drag configuration is generated in outer optimization level by using NSGA-II multi-objective genetic algorithm to optimize the control parameters of SGD method and aircraft shape. Two objective functions, low sonic boom and low wave drag, are considered in CSADE. Physically reasonable Pareto solutions are obtained from the present optimization. Some supersonic aircraft configurations are selected from Pareto front and the optimization results indicate that the swept forward wing configuration has benefits in both sonic boom reduction and wave drag reduction. The results are validated by using computational fluid dynamics(CFD) analysis.     

流向涡与斜激波相互作用的试验研究和数值模拟

为研究流向涡与斜激波相互作用在超声速燃烧中的应用,进行了由翼产生的流向涡与楔块产生的二维斜激波相互作用的燃烧室冷流试验研究.在不同激波强度下,纹影仪捕捉到了强、中、弱不同的涡/波作用现象.仿真与试验结果符合得较好.试验结果表明:对马赫数为2.3流场,在翼攻角10°时,能产生强流向涡,此工况下,锲角越大,涡/波作用越强.仿真结果表明:马赫数对涡/波作用影响较大,总压影响不明显,总温可影响亚声速回流区的尺寸.      

Instability analysis and drag coefficient prediction on a swept RAE2822 wing with constant lift coefficient

Swept wing is widely used in civil aircraft,whose airfoil is chosen,designed and optimized to increase the cruise speed and decrease the drag coefficient.The parameters of swept wing,such as sweep angle and angle of attack,are determined according to the cruise lift coefficient requirement,and the drag coefficient is expected to be predicted accurately,which involves the instability characteristics and transition position of the flow.The pressure coefficient of the RAE2822 wing with given constant lift coefficient is obtained by solving the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation numerically,and then the mean flow is calculated by solving the boundary layer(BL) equation with spectral method.The cross-flow instability characteristic of boundary layer of swept wing in the windward and leeward is analyzed by linear stability theory(LST),and the transition position is predicted by eNmethod.The drag coefficient is numerically predicted by introducing a laminar/turbulent indicator.A simple approach to calculate the lift coefficient of swept wing is proposed.It is found that there is a quantitative relationship between the angle of attack and sweep angle when the lift coefficient keeps constant;when the angle of attack is small,the flow on the leeward of the wing is stable.when the angle of attack is larger than 3°,the flow becomes unstable quickly;with the increase of sweep angle or angle of attack the disturbance on the windward becomes more unstable,leading to the moving forward of the transition position to the leading edge of the wing;the drag coefficient has two significant jumping growth due to the successive occurrence of transition in the windward and the leeward;the optimal range of sweep angle for civil aircraft is suggested.     

Flutter analysis of hybrid metal-composite low aspect ratio trapezoidal wings in supersonic flow

An effective 3D supersonic Mach box approach in combination with non-classical hybrid metal-composite plate theory has been used to investigate flutter boundaries of trapezoidal low aspect ratio wings. The wing structure is composed of two main components including alu-minum material (in-board section) and laminated composite material (out-board section). A global Ritz method is used with simple polynomials being employed as the trial functions. The most important objective of the present research is to study the effect of composite to metal proportion of hybrid wing structure on flutter boundaries in low supersonic regime. In addition, the effect of some important geometrical parameters such as sweep angle, taper ratio and aspect ratio on flutter boundaries were studied. The results obtained by present approach for special cases like pure metal-lic wings and results for high supersonic regime based on piston theory show a good agreement with those obtained by other investigators.     

伸缩机翼变体飞机气动特性研究

伸缩机翼变体飞机通过机翼伸缩调整机翼展长,从而改变机翼面积和展弦比,改变飞机的气动布局和机翼的气动特性,满足多任务点的设计要求。简要介绍伸缩机翼变体飞机的发展历史,重点研究一种采用伸缩机翼设计的超音速飞机的气动特性变化。研究结果表明：亚音速时机翼展长伸长,展弦比增大,飞机诱导阻力降低,升阻比提高,可以明显提高飞机的航程;超音速时机翼展长缩短,展弦比减小,飞机的波阻降低,升阻比增大,提高了超音速飞行性能。伸缩机翼概念用于超音速飞机设计时能很好地兼顾亚音速巡航和超音速冲刺。     

A systematic method of smooth switching LPV controllers design for a morphing aircraft

This paper is concerned with a systematic method of smooth switching linear parametervarying(LPV) controllers design for a morphing aircraft with a variable wing sweep angle. The morphing aircraft is modeled as an LPV system, whose scheduling parameter is the variation rate of the wing sweep angle. By dividing the scheduling parameter set into subsets with overlaps, output feedback controllers which consider smooth switching are designed and the controllers in overlapped subsets are interpolated from two adjacent subsets. A switching law without constraint on the average dwell time is obtained which makes the conclusion less conservative. Furthermore,a systematic algorithm is developed to improve the efficiency of the controllers design process. The parameter set is divided into the fewest subsets on the premise that the closed-loop system has a desired performance. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.     

耦合传热下激波对超声速气膜冷却影响

针对离散孔式超声速平板气膜冷却，在主流区引入楔角形成激波环境，以研究激波与超声速气膜之间的相互作用。通过计算楔角在0°、15°、20°和25°产生的四种激波强度下，超声速气膜与高温壁面的耦合传热。所得结果表明：适当强度的激波能够抑制气膜入射后产生的反向涡旋对，降低主流对气膜的卷吸，增大壁面平均H2摩尔分数并降低壁面温度。对金属层温度场的分析表明，壁面冷却效果随着激波角的增加而先增加后降低，其中楔角为20°时的流场结构最有利于壁面温度保护。小楔角生成的激波在低冷流马赫数下对冷却效果的改善更明显，大楔角则在高冷流马赫数下更明显，热障涂层（TBC）不影响这种变化趋势；激波的存在削弱了TBC的影响范围。可以揭示超声速气膜在耦合传热条件下的传热机理，为超声速气膜冷却的设计提供参考，或为现有超声速气膜冷却结构的优化提供依据。     

连接翼布局气动特性研究

在一个小型低速风洞中进行了五种不同布局形式的连接翼方案实验研究。利用油流法研究了三种连接翼的流谱,初步分析了具有连接翼飞机的气流流动机理。为比较,同时对三角翼常规布局方案进行了实验,所有方案使用相类似的隐身布局机身。实验结果表明,连接翼布局有其特有的流型:翼面分前翼、后翼及外翼三部分,其流型受前翼涡、后翼涡、翼端涡、机身边条涡以及它们互相缠绕形成的新涡的控制。这些涡的产生、发展、离体和破裂的情况不同,形成不同方案气动特性的差别。连接翼布局气动特性优于常规翼布局,特别是最大升阻比可达12以上,失速迎角超过30°。通过前后翼后缘操纵面的有利组合,可以达到提高升阻比,满足纵、横向稳定性和操纵性要求的目的。结果显示,具有扁平机身的连接翼方案是一个有潜力的无人机布局形式。     

Numerical study of aerodynamic characteristics of FSW aircraft with different wing positions under supersonic condition

This paper investigates the influence of forward-swept wing(FSW) positions on the aerodynamic characteristics of aircraft under supersonic condition(Ma = 1.5). The numerical method based on Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes(RANS) equations, Spalart–Allmaras(S–A) turbulence model and implicit algorithm is utilized to simulate the flow field of the aircraft. The aerodynamic parameters and flow field structures of the horizontal tail and the whole aircraft are presented. The results demonstrate that the spanwise flow of FSW flows from the wingtip to the wing root, generating an upper wing surface vortex and a trailing edge vortex nearby the wing root.The vortexes generated by FSW have a strong downwash effect on the tail. The lower the vertical position of FSW, the stronger the downwash effect on tail. Therefore, the effective angle of attack of tail becomes smaller. In addition, the lift coefficient, drag coefficient and lift–drag ratio of tail decrease, and the center of pressure of tail moves backward gradually. For the whole aircraft,the lower the vertical position of FSW, the smaller lift, drag and center of pressure coefficients of aircraft. The closer the FSW moves towards tail, the bigger pitching moment and center of pressure coefficients of the whole aircraft, but the lift and drag characteristics of the horizontal tail and the whole aircraft are basically unchanged. The results have potential application for the design of new concept aircraft.     

Investigation of Vortex Interaction in Canard-FSW Configurations Based on the Numerical Wind Tunnel Method

The vortex interference mechanism on low Reynolds number between the canard and main wing of the canard-forward sweep wing (Canard-FSW) configurations is simulated numerically by employing the numerical wind tunnel method. The variations of aerodynamic characteristics of Canard-FSW configurations with different positions of the canard are investigated, finding that the aerodynamic interference and mutual coupling effect between the canard and main wing have made great contributions to the lift and stability characteristics of the whole aircraft. Canard can radically improve the surface flow pattern of the main wing. And its own vortex can have a favorable interference on the main wing and can effectively control the airflow boundary layer separation. At small angles of attack, the aerodynamic characteristics are sensitive to the positions of the canard and the main wing, but at high angles of attack, the aerodynamic performances of the configuration are not only related to the shape of the canard (forward or backward), but also with the size of control force as well as the features of the vortices generated above the main wing and the canard. The different configurations and vortices are illustrated using the velocity vector, streamlines and pressure contours.     

亚/超声速楔状流层流边界层速度与温度相似解及拟合解

利用相似变换获得了楔状流层流边界层无量纲流函数的3阶非线性常微分方程,用Runge-Kutta法求解微分方程获得了不同楔形角楔状流层流边界层无量纲速度随相似变量的变化曲线;推导了亚声速和超声速楔状流层流边界层无量纲温度关于相似变量的2阶线性齐次和非齐次微分方程,获得了温度分布的通解,恒壁温条件下亚声速楔状流和绝热壁面条件下超声速楔状流层流边界层无量纲温度解析解及指数函数形式的拟合解.以楔形角为0为例利用相似变换研究了超声速条件下气体压缩性及黏度随温度变化等因素对层流边界层速度与温度的影响,得出不可压缩常物性与可压缩变物性条件下无量纲速度相对误差绝对值小于9.8%的结论.研究表明:Pr越大贴近壁面处无量纲温度变化越剧烈;超声速条件下壁温低于绝热壁温时黏性耗散作用可以使层流边界层气体温度从壁面到主流间出现先升高后降低的变化.      

A study of morphing aircraft on morphing rules along trajectory

Morphing aircraft can meet requirements of multi-mission during the whole flight due to changing the aerodynamic shape, so it is necessary to study its morphing rules along the trajectory. However, trajectory planning considering morphing variables requires a huge number of expensive CFD computations due to the morphing in view of aerodynamic performance. Under the given missions and trajectory, to alleviate computational cost and improve trajectory-planning efficiency for morphing aircraft, an offline optimization method is proposed based on Multi-Fidelity Kriging (MFK) modeling. The angle of attack, Mach number, sweep angle and axial position of the morphing wing are defined as variables for generating training data for building the MFK models, in which many inviscid aerodynamic solutions are used as low-fidelity data, while the less high-fidelity data are obtained by solving viscous flow. Then the built MFK models of the lift, drag and pressure centre at the different angles of attack and Mach numbers are used to predict the aerodynamic performance of the morphing aircraft, which keeps the optimal sweep angle and axial position of the wing during trajectory planning. Hence, the morphing rules can be correspondingly acquired along the trajectory, as well as keep the aircraft with the best aerodynamic performance during the whole task. The trajectory planning of a morphing aircraft was performed with the optimal aerodynamic performance based on the MFK models, built by only using 240 low-fidelity data and 110 high-fidelity data. The results indicate that a complex trajectory can take advantage of morphing rules in keeping good aerodynamic performance, and the proposed method is more efficient than trajectory optimization by reducing 86% of the computing time.     

鸭翼-前掠翼气动布局纵向气动特性实验研究

前掠翼布局由于其潜在的优势,在未来战斗机的研制中将占有日益重要的地位.本实验通过可变前掠翼和鸭式前翼布局的风洞测力实验,重点分析比较了平板机翼在不同掠角下的纵向气动性能以及鸭翼的影响.实验结果表明,前掠翼在大迎角时能有效提高模型的升力系数,小迎角时其升阻比也略优于后掠翼.前掠翼布局能有效推迟失速,具有良好的失速特性;前掠角较大时,升力系数曲线在失速迎角附近有一个升力系数的"平台",该布局具有"缓失速"特性.距离主机翼较远的鸭式前翼(模型M2)在主机翼前掠和后掠情况下,均可改善整体布局的失速特性,增大失速迎角,增强前掠翼布局缓失速的特点.近距耦合鸭翼(模型M3)显著提高了模型在大迎角下的升力系数.另外,主翼前掠和鸭式前翼布局飞行器具有较好的机动性.     

Supersonic flow over a pitching delta wing using surface pressure measurements and numerical simulations

Experimental and numerical methods were applied to investigating high subsonic and supersonic flows over a 60° swept delta wing in fixed state and pitching oscillation.Static pressure coefficient distributions over the wing leeward surface and the hysteresis loops of pressure coefficient versus angle of attack at the sensor locations were obtained by wind tunnel tests.Similar results were obtained by numerical simulations which agreed well with the experiments.Flow structure around the wing was also demonstrated by the numerical simulation.Effects of Mach number and angle of attack on pressure distribution curves in static tests were investigated.Effects of various oscillation parameters including Mach number, mean angle of attack, pitching amplitude and frequency on hysteresis loops were investigated in dynamic tests and the associated physical mechanisms were discussed.Vortex breakdown phenomenon over the wing was identified at high angles of attack using the pressure coefficient curves and hysteresis loops, and its effects on the flow features were discussed.     

侧滑对后掠翼飞机俯仰操纵影响的探讨

运用基础理论，对后掠翼飞机出现侧滑时的地仰状态变化进行分析。文中推导了后掠翼飞机的后掠角在有侧滑时对升力的影响，以及下洗角大小和分布的变化在水平尾翼处引起的俯仰力矩变化。通过时几种飞机的计算和分析比较，说明了后掠角在侧滑中具有提供上仰力矩的作用，从而在理论上解决了大后掠角飞机（如Ｊ—６飞机）出现侧滑时的急剧上仰现象和操纵措施问题，为在飞行中出现偏差进行修正提供了理论依据。对提高飞行员的驾驶技术和保证飞行安全有着积极的作用。     

翼身融合布局飞机总体参数对气动性能的影响

翼身融合布局是一种极具潜力和竞争力的新布局型式,该种布局型式飞机的总体参数对其自身的气动性能有重要影响,有必要开展相关的影响规律研究。本文基于某一翼身融合布局飞机概念方案,采用快速数值方法模拟了不同气动外形的高速流动,分析了总体参数(主要包括机翼面积、展弦比和外翼前缘后掠角)等对飞机高速气动性能的影响。结果表明,可以通过改变展弦比和机翼面积显著地改善气动性能,但未发现外翼前缘后掠角的改变与气动性能的改善有明显的关联。