Online Black-box Shape Optimization for a Seamless Active Morphing Wing

Recent trends in aviation highlight the ever-increasing need for fuel economy and sustainability. Active morphing technology can offer significant benefits over conventional wing designs. Inspired by nature, smart morphing technologies enable the aircraft of tomorrow to sense their environment and adapt the shape of their wings in-flight to...

Positioning of the Ducted Fan Propulsive Stabiliser

A new aircraft configuration, the Delft University Unconventional Configuration (DUUC), was recently invented by the Flight Performance and Propulsion group at TU Delft. As a solution to the concerns regarding the environmental and health impact due to increasing demand of air travel. The DUUC has a characteristic feature which consist of two...

Wingtip-mounted propellers installed at a nonzero yaw angle: A numerical investigation

Propellers were the first means of powered propulsion for aircraft. However the development of propellers stalled due to the growing interest in jet propulsion. Due to the growing interest in more fuel efficient and environmentally responsible aviation, propeller research is currently seeing a resurgence. <br/><br/>Wingtip-mounted propellers are...

Aerodynamic Analysis of Engine Integration during the Preliminary Design Phase

To reduce the environmental impact of aviation, new aircraft configurations are investigated. One of these researches is the PARSIFAL project, that investigates an efficient box-wing aircraft for passenger transport. In previous work, an engine sizing tool is developed to design the engines of the PARSIFAL aircraft. The tool is developed as part...

A sensitivity study on the aerodynamic performance of a wingtip-mounted tractor propeller-wing system

Wingtip-mounted propellers have the ability to enhance the propeller-wing system performance. For inboard-up rotating tractor propellers, the swirl in the propeller slipstream can be used on the wing to reduce the influence of the wingtip vortex, decreasing drag. Furthermore, lift is enhanced by increasing dynamic pressure and angle of attack...

Aerodynamic interaction effects of circular and square ducted propellers

With the goal of decreasing the environmental impact of aircraft, ducted propellers emerge as an efficient propulsive alternative. Ducts are able to increase the thrust to power ratio of a propeller system by both producing thrust and/or lowering tip losses of propellers. In this thesis, RANS CFD simulations were used to analyse the possible...