Aerodynamic design of shock control bumps on a transport aircraft wing considering structural constraints

Abstract

Shock control bumps can reduce the overall drag of a modern transport aircraft by reducing the wave drag. In this study, different shapes of static shock control bumps on a laminar wing are aerodynamically analyzed using numerical tools. Shapes that are structurally feasible are considered. The robustness is increased by reducing the overall height of the bump. This robust version of the bump is then implemented on a three-dimensional wing geometry of a modern transport aircraft on up to four spoilers. It is shown that the drag reduction potential varies linearly with the bump width in the investigated range of spoiler extensions. Over a wide range of lift coefficients, the bump robustly reduces drag by up to 2%. Estimated fuel savings of up to 1000kg can be derived for a flight mission of 9000km.