This project focuses on reducing drag caused by roll over vortices on aircraft wings. Roll over vortices increase turbulence, drag and reduce lift. A passive method is proposed to suppress these vortices using surface modifications on a NACA 2424 wing. Different modifications such as grooves, slits, notches and booms are analyzed. CFD analysis is carried out using ANSYS Fluent to study airflow and turbulence. Among all the modifications, the slit and groove show better vortex suppression. The modified wing is then fabricated and tested experimentally in a wind tunnel. Results show that the grooved wing reduces turbulence and suppresses vortices earlier than the normal wing. The grooved wing also increases the lift coefficient by nearly 20%. Thus, passive surface modification is an effective and simple method for drag reduction.

The present study investigated the suppression of rollover vortices on a NACA 2424 aerofoil using different passive suppressors such as wedges, grooves, booms and notches. The suppressors were placed at various positions on the wing surface and analysed using CFD tools. The results showed that passive suppressors are effective in reducing turbulence intensity and delaying flow separation over the aerofoil surface.Among all the suppressors considered, the groove-type suppressor provided better aerodynamic performance when compared with the normal wing and other suppressor configurations. The groove suppressor reduced the strength of rollover vortices, which in turn reduced drag and improved the lift characteristics of the aerofoil. The airflow remained attached to the wing surface for a longer distance, thereby decreasing the possibility of stall and vibration. The study also proved that passive techniques are simpler, less expensive and easier to implement than active flow-control methods. Since no external energy source is required, these suppressors can be practically applied to aircraft wings to improve aerodynamic efficiency. Therefore, the proposed method can be used as an effective solution for drag reduction and rollover vortex suppression in future aircraft design.

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