Study of the application of advanced technologies to laminar flow control systems for subsonic transports. Volume I. Summary. Final report

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7113254

Sturgeon, R F; Bennett, J A; Etchberger, F R; Ferrill, R S; Meade, L E

A study was conducted to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of applying laminar flow control to the wings and empennage of long-range subsonic transport aircraft compatible with initial operation in 1985. For a design mission range of 10,186 km (5500 n mi), advanced technology laminar-flow-control (LFC) and turbulent-flow (TF) aircraft were developed for both 200 and 400-passenger payloads, and compared on the basis of production costs, direct operating costs, and fuel efficiency. Parametric analyses were conducted to establish the optimum geometry for LFC and TF aircraft, advanced LFC system concepts and arrangements were evaluated, and configuration variations maximizing the effectiveness of LFC were developed. For the final LFC aircraft, analyses were conducted to define maintenance costs and procedures, manufacturing costs and procedures, and operational considerations peculiar to LFC aircraft. Compared to the corresponding advanced technology TF transports, the 200- and 400-passenger LFC aircraft realized reductions in fuel consumption up to 28.2%, reductions in direct operating costs up to 8.4%, and improvements in fuel efficiency, in ssm/lb of fuel, up to 39.4%. Compared to current commercial transports at the design range, the LFC study aircraft demonstrate improvements in fuel efficiency up to 131%. Research and technology requirements requisite to the development of LFC transport aircraft were identified.

• Research Organization: Lockheed-Georgia Co., Marietta (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7113254
• Report Number(s): N-76-24144; NASA-CR-144975; LG-76ER0076-V-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320201* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Air & Aerospace
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330104 -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Rotary
AIR TRANSPORT
AIRCRAFT
AVIATION FUELS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUID FLOW
FUEL CONSUMPTION
FUEL ECONOMY
FUELS
LAMINAR FLOW
SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TRANSPORT