Winglet design and an application to increase wing performance

In this project winglet geometry is designed and optimized for Bayraktar Tb-2 tactical UAV system. Objective of the project is determined to increase wing aerodynamic efficiency with minimum weight addition. Before starting the analysis, a literature study is made about winglet design, history and in the light of the experience acquired from the literature review a design methodology has created. This methodology is based on parametric analyze that depends seven main parameters of winglet geometry and comparing the structures with their lift-to-drag ratio values at the flight conditions of the unmanned aerial vehicle that examined. Winglet geometry is defined by seven main parameters. These are; cant angle, sweep angle, toe angle, twist angle, winglet span, taper ratio and winglet airfoil [1]. In the first phase of the analysis, these parameters investigated individually to determine effect of the wing performance characteristics. KC-135 winglet airfoil is selected and used for all designs because of its lower thickness ratio relative to wing airfoil and it's widely usages in winglet structures. In progressive, an optimization code developed which uses an open source code of vortex lattice method solver Tornado VLM. Thanks to optimization code 384093 wings with winglet structures analyzed in more systematic and quicker way. Cost analysis shows that the most suitable winglet span is 0,6 meter. During the optimization process design of experiments method has followed. With respect to this method all the winglet geometries which has 0,6 meter span is investigated and most efficient winglet is determined as a most suitable wingtip device for Bayraktar Tb-2 UAV system. At the end of the study the geometry that determined is examined with computational fluid dynamics analyze program and with experimental analysis in Istanbul Technical University. Analyses showed both, vortex lattice method and computational fluid mechanic results are confirm to each other. In this thesis project a winglet design methodology has created and with this methodology a winglet which increases Bayraktar Tb-2 tactical UAV wing by approximately %9 is optimized.