Method and apparatus for mitigating trailing vortex wakes of lifting or thrust generating bodies
AssigneeDelos Aerospace, LLC
InventorSteven SULLIVAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for mitigating the formation of concentrated wake vortex structures generated from lifting or thrust-generating bodies and maneuvering control surfaces wherein the use of contour surface geometries promotes vortex-mixing of high and low flow fluids. The methods and apparatuses can be combined with various drag reduction techniques, such as the use of riblets of various types and/or compliant surfaces (passive and active). Such combinations form unique structures for various fluid dynamic control applications to suppress transiently growing forms of boundary layer disturbances in a manner that significantly improves performance and has improved control dynamics.
Claims232
A method for reducing aerodynamic or hydrodynamic drag by mitigating formation of concentrated wake vortex structures, the method comprising:
- applying and/or incorporating at least one three-dimensional contour shaped surface into and/or onto one or more lifting and/or thrust-generating bodies, airfoils, and/or other surfaces.
A method comprising:
- combining at least one riblet and/or at least one compliant surface with a trailing edge of one or more lifting and/or thrust-generating bodies, airfoils, and/or other surfaces, thereby producing at least one contour-shaped surface on the one or more lifting and/or thrust-generating bodies, airfoils, and/or other surfaces, wherein the at least one contour-shaped surface varies across the trailing edge.
A method for decreasing drag on surfaces, the method comprising:
- implementing, on a surface, one or more contour shapes that vary across three dimensions of the surface, wherein the surface comprises a lifting and/or thrust-generating surface.
An apparatus comprising a surface, the surface comprising:
- one or more geometric variations in chord length along a span-wise direction of the surface;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular portions;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular edges.
The method of 103, wherein integration with riblets causes formation of counter-rotating vortices centered around each riblet, generating disturbance velocity fields in the adjacent boundary layer when the adjacent boundary layer is laminar.
A method for reducing wake vortex formation, the method comprising:
- implementing one or more variations in geometric structure of one or more propeller blades or fan blades that produce multiple wake vortices that are smaller in intensity than concentrated wake structures that would be generated at a tip region of the one or more propeller blades or fan blades if the one or more variations in geometric structure were absent.
A method for providing increased control and/or reduced noise of a surface, the method comprising:
- implementing one or more geometric shapes along at least a portion of a surface, wherein the surface comprises areas where said geometric shapes are implemented on the surface and/or a leading edge and/or a trailing edge of the surface.
A method, comprising:
- applying and/or integrating into a surface:
- one or more geometric variations in length along a span-wise direction of the surface;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular portions;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular edges.
An apparatus for reducing aerodynamic or hydrodynamic drag by mitigating formation of concentrated wake vortex structures, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one three-dimensional contour-shaped surface located on a trailing edge, a leading edge, and/or across a surface of one or more lifting and/or thrust-generating bodies and/or airfoils.
An apparatus comprising a surface, the surface comprising:
- at least one riblet and/or at least one compliant surface on a trailing edge of one or more lifting and/or thrust-generating bodies, airfoils, and/or other surfaces, thereby producing at least one contour-shaped surface on the one or more lifting and/or thrust-generating bodies and/or other surfaces, wherein the at least one contour-shaped surface varies across the trailing edge.
An apparatus for decreasing drag, the apparatus comprising:
- a surface comprising one or more contour shapes that vary across three dimensions of the surface.
An apparatus comprising a surface, the surface comprising:
- one or more repeating variations in length along a span-wise direction of the surface;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular portions;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular edges.
An apparatus for promoting chord-wise fluid flow, the apparatus comprising:
- a lifting and/or thrust-generating body and/or an airfoil, comprising one or more structures,
- wherein the one or more structures are selected from the group consisting of:
- grooves, slots, a laminated surface, a composite surface, and combinations thereof.
A method for promoting chord-wise fluid flow, the method comprising:
- incorporating one or more structures into a lifting and/or thrust-generating body and/or an airfoil,
- wherein the one or more structures are selected from the group consisting of:
- grooves, slots, a laminated surface, a composite surface, and combinations thereof.
An aerodynamic or hydrodynamic surface comprising:
- a plurality of geometric features;
- and
- a plurality of variations in shape, wherein at least one of the plurality of variations is located at a trailing edge and/or a leading edge of the surface.
An apparatus comprising a surface, the surface comprising:
- one or more oscillatory variations in at least one dimension;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated and/or serrated portions;
- and/or
- a plurality of geometrically-shaped projections extending along a spanwise direction of the surface.
An apparatus for providing increased control and/or reduced noise of a surface, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more oscillating geometric shapes along at least a portion of the surface, wherein the surface comprises a leading edge and/or a trailing edge.
An apparatus comprising a surface, the surface comprising:
- one or more geometric variations in length in a chordwise direction along a span-wise direction of the surface;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular portions;
- and/or
- one or more corrugated, serrated, convoluted, geometrically regular, and/or geometrically irregular edges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.