Experimental investigation of different cavity types on the wing surface as aerodynamics

Aerodynamic improvement in aircraft makes a significant contribution to fuel and energy savings, as well as increased range and payload capacity. Therefore, aerodynamic studies for every part of aircraft must always be up-to-date and innovative. In order to benefit from aerodynamic gain, it is very important to control the flow. This study is mainly focused on the cavity application as a passive flow control method. The aim of this study is to improve the aerodynamic performance of UAVs, which are fixed wing aircraft, with the cavity application on NACA 4412 profiled wings with high lift coefficient, which have been widely used recently. Thus, it is aimed to increase the range and payload capacity of the UAV and to save energy/fuel. The study will be carried out experimentally in a wind tunnel, at 4 different speeds, 6 different angles of attack and with 3 different cavity types (triangle, circle, square). Wing models will be produced with a 3D printer and modeled to be connected to the wind tunnel force sensor apparatus. Surface roughness will be minimized. During the experiments, force values, surface pressure, vibration and noise measurements will be made. The aerodynamic performance of the wing models will be determined by calculating the drag and lift coefficients from the measured values. The results obtained will be analyzed to determine the best cavity type and the region of the wing surface where it is applied.