Flow Analysis over and Behind a Wing with Different Winglet Shapes

An extensive experimental study is conducted to examine the effects of winglet-shapes and orientations on the static surface pressure, wake, and the flowfield of a swept wing at angles of attack between -10 to 15 degrees. Four types of winglets, spiroid (forward and aft), blended winglets, and winggrid are used in this investigation. Wing static surface pressure measurements are obtained for both chordwise and spanwise, as well as the wake profiles at various angles of attack using the aforementioned winglets. Further, the effect of addition of turbulator strip on the wing upper surface is examined. The results are compared with the wing without winglet. The results show that addition of winglets change the flowfield over and around the wing significantly. Furthermore, it is found that certain winglet configurations improve both the wake and the wing pressure distribution. The total pressure in the wake of the model varies drastically when the wing is equipped with winglets.