DRAG REDUCTION IN AN AIRPLANE

BY DHRUV ARORA
RISHABH VERMA
ABHISHEK GUPTA
MITTAPELLY HEMANT

SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS, NEEMRANA, RAJASTHAN

Department of Aeronautical Engineering

Rajasthan Technical University, Kota, Rajasthan
 CONTENT

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

Experimental Techniques

Observation

References
 ABSTRACT

• This research covers all the main aspects of drag that take place during flight. It also focuses
on types of drags and the ways to reduce it without compromising with the aerodynamic
efficiency in order to save fuel consumption, larger operational range, greater endurance and
higher achievable speeds. The aerodynamic drag breakdown of a simple passenger airplane
at cruise shows that the Skin Friction Drag and the Lift-Induced Drag constitute the two
main sources of drag, approximately one being 50% and the other being 30% of the total
drag. The paper summarizes the Drag Reduction for the “Conventional” Drag components
of Viscous Drag, Induced Drag and Wave Drag.
 What is Drag?

 Aerodynamic drag can be defined as the force which

increases the tendency of an aircraft to resist
forward motion.
Types Of Aerodynamic Drags
 Zero Lift Drag and Lift Induced Drag…
 Aerodynamic drag is also divided into zero-lift drag and lift-dependent drag components. When you
place that object at different angles of attack, you will find certain configurations that do not
generate any lift at all. These configurations give you Zero-lift drag.
 Induced Drag
• When the aircraft experiences lift, the pressure difference between the upper and the
lower surface of the wing induces the air around the wing tips to move upwards
forming vortices.

• These vortices transform into trailing vortices during forward motion thus inducing drag due to
lift. This drag force occurs in airplanes due to wings or a lifting body redirecting air to cause lift
and also in cars with aerofoil wings that redirect air to cause a downforce.
 Profile Drag

• Profile Drag Definition: Profile Drag is the drag incurred from frictional resistance of the blades passing
through the air.
• It does not change significantly with angle of attack of the airfoil section, but increases moderately as
airspeed increases.
• Profile Drag can further be classified into two types Skin Friction and Form Drag.
 Skin Friction Drag and Form Drag…
 Skin Friction drag is the aerodynamic resistance experienced by aircraft due to contact of moving
air on the surface of aircraft. it is created in the boundary layer (a layer of almost stationary fluid
close to the solid surface). the boundary layer covers much of the surface of the aircraft, so, skin
friction drag can become quite significant in larger aircraft.

 The drag which is created because of the shape of the
solid body (or aircraft) and area of cross section, is
called form drag.

 Difference between Profile and Parasite Drag…

 When in Profile Drag another drag component of interference drag is introduced it becomes Parasite Drag.
 In other words :
Parasite Drag = Skin Friction Drag + Form Drag + Interference Drag
 Interference Drag is drag that is generated by the mixing of airflow streamlines between airframe
components such as the wing and the fuselage, the engine pylon and the wing or, in the case of a military or
other special purpose aircraft, between the airframe and attached external stores such as fuel tanks, weapons
or sensor pods.
 Wave Drag
• Wave Drag is a force, or drag, that retards the forward movement of an airplane, in both supersonic and
Transonic Flight, as a consequence of the formation of shock waves.
• Mach tuck is an aerodynamic effect whereby the nose of an aircraft tends to pitch downward as the airflow
around the wing reaches supersonic speeds; the aircraft will first experience this effect at significantly below
Mach 1. This speed is known as the critical Mach number of the wing.
Experimental Techniques…