Conceptual assessment of the fuel efficiency of passenger aircraft with the transition to composite wings

Abstract

One of the success indicators for any new aircraft is its fuel efficiency, influencing both range and cost-effectiveness, as fuel costs amount to 30% of direct operating costs. Based on the analysis of take-off mass response to design changes, a solution to the basic-type aircraft improvement in terms of fuel efficiency is considered. The feature of proposed redesigning is the use of a higher aspect- ratio of an airfoil allowing for fuel efficiency to be increased by reducing the induced drag. Two solutions are considered to substantiate this approach. The first one is the transition to composite wing structures, which will allow for a high aspect ratio of an airfoil without losing rigidity. The second one is the application (if necessary) of devices, reducing the wingspan, caused by the airport restrictions. The methodology for assessing the mass of composite wings based on the universal weight formula by V.A. Komarov which was specified by applying an integral factor considering the features of mass distribution in the structure, the structural adaptation of structure elements and their strength performance, has been proposed. To simplify the arrangement of aircraft with large-span wings in the available airport layout, the application of folding wingtips was considered. The principal analysis of the wingtip swiveling unit structure was performed. The assessment of the folding device effect upon the mass of a passenger aircraft was completed. The proposed approach was verified based on the Boeing company of B777 aircraft family. The numerical analysis of the composite wing application for the IL-96, Tu-214 and SSJ-100 was performed, and the winglet use effect on the MC-21 aircraft was studied.

Composite Materials: Application Specifics for Transport Category Aircraft Wings

“…Another example is the new UAC MС-21. This aircraft has an aspect ratio of 11 [17]. In both cases, such a high aspect ratio was achieved by using CM.…”

“…The weight of a passenger aircraft wing is approximately 8-12% of the aircraft structural weight and 30-40% of the airframe weight [4,[15][16][17]. Up to 30-40% of the structural weight is the weight of the skin.…”

“…There are several ways to reduce induced drag for a given lift [4,11,[15][16][17]. So far, the most effective way to reduce induced drag is to increase its aspect ratio.…”