During the flight of an airplane, vortices are developed at the wingtips. This process steals energy from the motion of the airplane and causes vortex drag. The overall purpose of a winglet is to reduce the aerodynamic drag. When the drag is reduced, fuel consumption is reduced, and aircrafts will travel longer distances. In addition to that, the size and shape of the winglet can affect how much drag is reduced. Our project will include designing multiple winglets. We will gather analytical data using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and experimental data using wind tunnel tests.
· Develop a 3D model of a wing
· Develop 3D models of different winglets
· Analyze each model in CFD simulations
· 3D print test winglets
· Test each model in the wind tunnel
· Compare CFD analysis, and wind tunnel results to see how they differ
"Scientist study the world as it is: engineers create the world that has never been."
-Theodore von Karman