Winglet design significantly influences the aerodynamic performance of finite wings by modifying the wingtip flow structure and reducing induced drag

Winglet design significantly influences the aerodynamic performance of finite wings by modifying the wingtip flow structure and reducing induced drag. This study numerically investigates the aerodynamic performance of a diffuser winglet applied to a compressible subsonic NACA ۰۰۱۲ wing. Three-dimensional CFD simulations are conducted at a Mach number of ۰.۴ and an angle of attack of ۵°. The diffuser winglet is analyzed at installation angles of ۷۵°, ۸۲.۵°, and ۹۰°, and its performance is compared against a baseline configuration without winglets. The evaluation is based on lift and drag coefficients, induced drag reduction, lift-to-drag ratio, pressure distribution, and flow field characteristics. The results show that the diffuser winglet improves aerodynamic efficiency by enhancing lift generation while maintaining favorable drag behavior. Among all cases, the ۸۲.۵° configuration delivers the best overall performance, achieving a maximum lift coefficient of ۰.۰۹۸۸۲ and a lift-to-drag ratio of ۴.۸۲۶۸۷. These findings highlight the effectiveness of diffuser winglets for subsonic aerodynamic optimization, with installation angle playing a key role in performance enhancement.

کلیدواژه ها:

NACA ۰۰۱۲ ، diffuser winglet ، CFD ، subsonic compressible flow ، induced drag