China’s New Wing Design With Holes Could Tackle Sonic Booms, Boost Aviation
11th August 2024
Conventional aircraft wings follow design principles established by the Wright brothers and rely on Bernoulli’s principle. This dictates that faster airflow over the top of the wing results in lower pressure, while slower airflow underneath generates higher pressure, thus lifting the plane.
However, as an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, shock waves come into existence, creating turbulence and drag. These reduce lift and cause damaging vibrations.
The research team, led by Professor Gao Chao of the university’s School of Aeronautics, proposed that strategic holes in the wing could solve these ill effects.
They employed computer simulations and wind tunnel experiments, which demonstrated that the holes in the wing disrupted shock waves and mitigated the ensuing vibrations. Remarkably, they also discovered a boost of over 10% in aerodynamic efficiency.