Numerical analysis of aerodynamic performances of single vs. double wing (biplane) configuration

Abstract

The number of light aircrafts is constantly increasing and this trend will continue in the future with further development of composite technology and hybrid and purely electric propulsion systems. Since these vehicles enable fast and comfortable transport to destinations in the region and will be employed more and more in urban environments, any improvement of aerodynamic performances together with size reduction would be more than beneficial. Therefore, this paper presents a comparative study of aerodynamic performances of two different configurations of lifting surfaces, single vs. double wing since biplane configuration enables more compact aircraft design. Lift and drag coefficients are obtained by simulating flow by finite volume method in ANSYS Fluent. The flow is considered incompressible and viscous. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations are closed by transition SST turbulence model. Results are presented in the form of aerodynamic coefficients of lift and drag as well as flow visualizations by velocity contours. Main observations on aerodynamic performances of biplane wings are presented and discussed.