Interference Drag Prediction

Our group is interested in applying CFD to predict interference drag on the components of strut-braced wing airplane configuration.

Strut-Braced Wing (SBW) uses a strut for wing-bending load alleviation o  Increases aspect ratio o  Increases the lift to drag ratio by reducing wing thickness Reduced wing thickness decreases the transonic wave drag

• Increases aspect ratio
• Increases the lift to drag ratio by reducing wing thickness
• Reduced wing thickness decreases the transonic wave drag
• This effort is funded by NASA Langley Research Center
• Collaborators: Drs. Joe Schetz and Bill Mason 

Schematic of a multiple-element truss (top) MDO design for a simple truss (bottom). Our research focus on predicting the interference drag due to intersecting strut member on airplane configuration

Flow field mesh for 3D flow simulations: (a) mesh on the surfaces, (b) details of the mesh in a constant X plane, (c) details of the mesh in a constant Y plane, and (d) details of the mesh in a constant Z plane

References

• R. K. Duggirala, C. J. Roy, and J. A. Schetz. “Analysis of Interference Drag for Strut-Strut Interaction in Transonic Flow,” 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL, January 5-8, 2009, AIAA 2009-51
• R. K. Duggirala, C. J. Roy, and J. A. Schetz, “Analysis of Interference Drag for Strut-Strut Interaction in Transonic Flow,” AIAA Journal, Vol. 49, No. 3, 2011, pp. 449-462 (DOI: 10.2514/1.45703).
• K. C. D. Knight, E. M. Braun, C. J. Roy, F. K. Lu, J. A. Schetz, “Interference Drag Modeling and Experiments for a High Reynolds Number Transonic Wing,” Journal of Aircraft, accepted January 2012.