Metamaterials for Laminar Flow Control on a Wing

Introduction

Achieving extensive laminar flow can reduce aircraft drag by up to 15%, offering breakthrough potential for curbing polluting emissions in aviation and other energy-intensive sectors. To achieve this, wave-like flow instabilities growing in laminar boundary layers need to be controlled and attenuated, to delay the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. However, their complex, multi-scale, and broadband nature makes these instabilities extremely challenging to control.

Concept Overview

In MetaWing, I propose a new disruptive concept for flow control, first born in classical wave physics: Metamaterials. These are engineered composite structures that invoke dispersive wave phenomena to gain exotic properties that go beyond what is considered possible in Nature.

Key Properties

The main property I want to explore is the bandgap, which is a range in which waves are suppressed when interacting with the Metamaterial. My team and I have recently found key evidence of dispersive wave suppression in boundary layers. However, wave-like flow instabilities have key differences from classical waves, forming a new regime of dispersive wave interactions. Thus, the nature of bandgaps in boundary layer flows remains unclear and unexplored.

Research Objectives

I aim to reveal and understand the formation of bandgaps in transitional fluid flows and use them to suppress wave-like boundary layer instabilities, thus delaying laminar-turbulent transition. To achieve this, I propose the first holistic intersection of Metamaterials and Laminar Flow Control using:

1. Theory
2. Numerical simulations
3. Novel fabrication methods
4. State-of-the-art experimental measurements

Expected Outcomes

The combined results will uncover the complex dynamic behavior of flow instabilities under dispersive interaction with Metamaterials and will help us understand and fully exploit bandgap mechanisms in transitional flows.

Conclusion

MetaWing will create a new class of Metamaterials for flow control and pave the way to ultra-low drag wings for the next generation of emission-free aviation.