Multi-Fidelity Design of Aeroelastic Wing Tip Devices

In recent years, significant resources have been invested to further improve the efficiency and environmental sustainability of modern aircraft. A possible strategy consists of reducing the induced-drag contribution (40% of total drag) by means of wing tip devices, e.g. winglets. However, these solutions have a negative impact on structural sizing, requiring reinforcements, and aeroelastic stability, requiring mass balancing. The subject of this study is the numerical study of an alternative wing tip device. In particular, two different design concepts are presented, namely discrete and raked options. These solutions improve the aerodynamic efficiency by extending the wing span and feature an integrated aeroelastic passive load alleviation capability. The design of the wing tip devices follows a multi-fidelity approach, closely matching today's best practices in the aerospace industry. In the first part of the study, the design phase is carried out with low-fidelity very efficient tools. In the second part, the most promising solutions are verified with high-fidelity more expensive tools, within the framework of computational aeroelasticity.