EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MAGNUS EFFECT OVER AN AIRCRAFT WING

Kavithasan Patkunam, Samay Sigamani, Pedaballi Mahathi, Selvakumaran.T

Abstract: We present this paper as an experimental study of employing Magnus Effect in an aircraft wing. The scope and interest of study of Magnus Effect and its application in Aerospace Engineering is widely increasing all over the world to make use of the Magnus Force for enhanced Lift by Drag Ratio. Most of the trials werent successful due to the heavy Drag Force produced by large cylinders, even though sufficient Lift Force was generated. The main stereotypical apprehension of Magnus Effect is that it could be applied only over symmetrical bodies like a spinning ball(sphere), or a cylinder or a disc. We suggest an idea to be applied differently by maintaining a constant circumferential speed over an airfoil profile. We propose to initiate the project work by considering a symmetrical airfoil and study it’s aerodynamic characteristics and make an attempt in extending its performing envelope by implementing Magnus Effect. Our intention is to provide the constant circumferential speed over the airfoil skin is by compositing a treadmill like motion contributed by a series of rollers fastened over a chain track and driven by a stepper motor. The Rollers coupled Treadmill spins in a clockwise direction, when air passes over the upper surface of the airfoil, it will be pushed down, due to the energy provided by the treadmill motion imparted to the airflow. This apparently make the air below the airfoil denser and eventually leading to a pressure rise in the lower surface of the airfoil. Consequently, the supplemented acceleration of airflow over the upper surface of the airflow results in a greater pressure difference between both the surfaces of airfoil. Thus we are generating surplus Lift Force and minimize Drag Force by implementing Magnus Effect over the aircraft wing. We term this entire approach as Flo-Lapse. Our Pilot Studies and predictions make it seem that this idea will wide open many avenues for production of augmented Lift/Drag Ratio, wielding of shorter wingspan, probability of initiating a Vertical Take-Off for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or production of Lift at Zero Airspeed. A probable condition of the Cruise phase of a flight profile, where in the aircraft is at maximum speed, the incoming airstream can be used to reverse the Flo-Lapse approach and serve the purpose of an energy solution. We suggest that optimising the circumferential speed, we can have better L/D Ratios and delay early stalling of wing.

Keywords: Magnus effect, Treadmill motion, Flo-Lapse, Aerodynamics, L/D ratio & Aircraft wing

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2015.0410066