Overview of Laminar Flow Control
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NASA/TP-1998-208705 Overview of Laminar Flow Control Ronald D. Joslin Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia National Aeronautics and Space Administration Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199 October 1998 Acknowledgment.,; The author's only intent in generating this overview was to summarize the available literature from a historical prospective while making no judgement on the value of any contribution. This publication is dedicated to the many scientists, engineers, and managers who have devoted a portion of their careers toward developing technologies which would someday lead to aircraft with laminar flow. Special thanks to Anna Ruzecki and Dee Bullock for graphics services which led to the reproduced figures, Eloise Johnson for technical editing services, and Patricia Gottschali for typesetting services. Gratitude is expressed to the following companies and reviewers of this manuscript or a portion of this manuscript: Scott G. Anders, Dennis M. Bushnell, Michael C. Fischer, Jerry N. Hefner, Dal V. Maddalon, William L. Sellers III, Richard A. Thompson, and Michael J. Walsh, Langley Research Center; Paul Johnson and Jeff Crouch, The Boeing Company; E. Kevin Hertzler, Lockheed Martin Corporation; and Feng Jiang, McDonnell Douglas Corporation. The use of trademarks or names of manufacturers in this report is for accurate reporting and does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, of such products or _nanufacturers by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Available from the following: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI) National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 7121 Standard Drive 5285 Port Royal Road Hanover, MD 21076-1320 Springfield, VA 22161-2171 (301) 621-0390 (703) 487-465O Contents Tables ............................................................................ v Figures ........................................................................... v Abbreviations and Symbols ........................................................... ix 1. Introduction ..................................................................... 1 2. Background ...................................................................... 2 2.1. Definition of LFC .............................................................. 2 2.2. Benefits of LFC ............................................................... 3 3. Laminar Flow Control Design Methodology ............................................ 6 3.1. Boundary-Layer Instability Issues ................................................. 6 3.2. Surface Tolerances for Laminar Flow .............................................. 9 3.2.1. Waviness ................................................................ 12 3.2.2. Two-Dimensional Surface Discontinuities ...................................... 13 3.2.3. Three-Dimensional Surface Discontinuities ..................................... 13 3.3. Critical Suction Parameters for LFC .............................................. 14 3.4. Manufacturing Issues .......................................................... 16 3.4.1. Joints ................................................................... 16 3.4.2. Holes ................................................................... 16 3.5. Transition Prediction Design Tool Methodology .................................... 17 3.5.1. Granville Criterion ......................................................... 18 3.5.2. C1 and C2 Criteria ......................................................... 18 3.5.3. Linear Stability Theory ..................................................... 18 3.5.4. Parabolized Stability Equations Theory ......................................... 23 3.5.5. Transition Prediction Coupled to Turbulence Modeling ............................ 24 3.5.6. Receptivity--The Ingestion of Disturbances ..................................... 24 3.5.7. Optimize Linear Design for LFC .............................................. 25 3.5.8. Thermal LFC ............................................................. 26 3.5.9. Advanced Prediction of Manufacturing Tolerances ............................... 26 4. Laminar Flow Control Aircraft Operations ............................................ 26 4.1. Insect Contamination .......................................................... 27 4.1.1. Paper Cover ................................................................ 29 4.1.2. Scrapers ................................................................. 30 4.1.3. Deflectors ................................................................ 30 4.1.4. Fluidic Cover ............................................................. 30 4.1.5. Thermal Cover ............................................................ 30 4.1.6. Relaminarization .......................................................... 30 4.1.7. Liquid Discharge .......................................................... 31 4.1.8. Flexible Surface or Cover ................................................... 31 4.2. Ice Accumulation and Atmospheric Particulates .................................... 32 4.2.1. Ice Accumulation .......................................................... 32 4.2.2. Atmospheric Particulates .................................................... 33 4.3. Boundary-Layer Control for Takeoff and Landing ................................... 33 4.4. Operational Maintenance of Laminar Flow ......................................... 34 .oo !!1 5. Laminar Flow Control Prior to OPEC Oil Embargo ..................................... 35 5.1. B- 18 Slot-Suction Glove Flight Test (1941 ) ........................................ 35 5.2. LFC Wind Tunnel Tests (1949-1963) ............................................. 36 5.2.1. Wind Tunnel Test With Porous Bronze Airfoil .................................. 36 5.2.2. University of Michigan Slot-Suction Wind Tunnel Tests ........................... 36 5.2.3. Douglas Slot-Suction Wind Tunnel Test ....................................... 37 5.3. Anson Mk. 1 Porous-Suction Flight Test (1948-1950) ............................... 37 5.4. Vampire Porous-Suction Flight Test (1953-1954) ................................... 37 5.5. F-94A Slot-Suction Glove Flight Test (1953-1956) ................................. 38 5.6. Later Subsonic Slot-Suction Wind Tunnel Tests (1958) .............................. 40 5.7. Supersonic Slot-Suction Wind Tunnel Tests (1957-1965) ............................. 41 5.8. X-21A (WB-66) Slot-Suction Flight Test (1960-1965) ............................... 43 6. Laminar Flow Control After OPEC Oil Embargo ....................................... 45 6.1. Boeing Research Wind Tunnel LFC Test (1977-1978) ................................ 46 6.2. Langley 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel LFC Wind Tunnel Test (1981-1988) ........... 46 6.3. Jetstar Leading-Edge Flight Test (1983-1986) ...................................... 48 6.4. Cessna Citation HI Nacelle LFC Flight Test (1986) .................................. 49 6.5. Dassault Falcon 50 HLFC Flight Tests (1987-1990) ................................. 50 6.6. Boeing 757 HLFC Flight Test (1990-1991) ........................................ 51 6.7. HLFC ONERA-CERT T2 Wind Tunnel Test (1991) ................................. 52 6.8. HLFC Nacelle Demonstration Flight Test (1992) .................................... 53 6.9. NLF and LFC Nacelle Wind Tunnel Tests (1991-1993) ............................... 53 6.10. VFW 614 HLFC Transonic Wind Tunnel Test (1992) ............................... 54 6.11. European NLF and HLFC Nacelle Demonstrator Flighl Tests (1992-1993) .............. 54 6.12. A320 Laminar Fin Wind Tunnel and Flight Test Progrzm (1993-1998) ................. 55 6.13. Langley 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel HLFC Wind Tunnel Test (1993-1995) ........ 55 6.14. High-Speed Civil Transport (1986) .............................................. 56 6.15. Supersonic LFC Quiet-Tunnel Tests (1987-1996) .................................. 57 6.16. F- 16XL Supersonic LFC Flight Tests (1989-1996) ................................. 58 7. Concluding Remarks ............................................................. 60 Appendix A---Subsonic Natural Laminar Flow Research ................................... 62 Appendix B--Supersonic Natural Laminar Flow Research ................................. 66 References ....................................................................... 67 Tables ........................................................................... 81 Figures .......................................................................... 84 iv Tables Table 1. Subsonic and Transonic LFC Wind Tunnel and Flight Experiments and Major Accomplishments ................................................................ 81 Table 2. Subsonic LFC Wind Tunnel and Flight Experiments and Major Accomplishments Prior to OPEC Oil Embargo (1970) .................................................. 82 Table 3. LFC Wind Tunnel and Flight Experiments and Major Accomplishments After OPEC Oil Embargo ............................................................... 83 Figures Figure 1• Overview of Laminar Flow Control Projects ..................................... 84 Figure 2. Concepts and practical application ............................................. 85 Figure 3. Aircraft drag breakdown ..................................................... 86 Figure 4. Predicted drag benefits of laminar flow on subsonic business jet ..................... 86 Figure 5. Benefits of LFC with range for subsonic aircraft