Abstract:The design and development of morphing (shape shifting) aircraft wings-an innovative technology that has the potential to increase the aerodynamic efficiency and reduce noise signatures of aircrafts-was carried out. This research was focused on reducing lift-induced drag at the flaps of the aerofoil and to improve the design to achieve the optimum aerodynamic efficiency. Simulation revealed a 10.8% coefficient of lift increase for the initial morphing wing and 15.4% for the optimized morphing wing as compared to conventional wing design. At angles of attack of 0, 5, 10 and 15 degrees, the optimized wing has an increase in lift-to-drag ratio of 18.3%, 10.5%, 10.6% and 4% respectively when compared with the conventional wing. Simulations also showed that there is a significant improvement on pressure distribution over the lower surface of the morphing wing aerofoil. The increase in flow smoothness and reduction in vortex size reduced pressure drag along the trailing edge of the wing as a result an increase in pressure on the lower surface was experienced. A morphing wing reduced the size of the vortices and therefore the noise levels measured were reduced by up to 50%.
The stability and the mean structure of methane partially premixed conical burner flames was investigated numerically using ANSYS Fluent. The study presents and discusses the stability curves of the partially premixed flame and maps the mean flame structure based on contours of mass fraction of O2, CO and temperature. From the data obtained, it can be concluded that both premixed and non-premixed flames are less stable than the partially premixed flames. An optimum level of partially premixing was found and the flames beyond this threshold were found to be less stable. This optimum level was found, when the ratio of the mixing length to the nozzle diameter is equal to 5. At this specific degree of partially premixing, the flame exhibited triple interaction reaction zones. It was found that with an increase of the angle of the cone of the burner, the air entrainment increases which, in turns breaks the stabilization core and hence cause a reduction in the flame stability limit. The main role of the cone is to provide a protection from the surrounding environment at early phase of the reaction near the jet exit where turbulence with high intensity was observed.
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