Daimler Chrysler Ag

Airbus Deutschland Gmbh

Michael Gruenewald

Ingo Udo Borchers

Knut Mau

Roger Drobietz

Johann Reichenberger

Josef Steigenberger

Guenther Mueller

Clemens Moeser

Vortex generators are arranged on the edges of aircraft wing control surfaces to generate smaller vortices that weaken the main vortex that would otherwise be generated at these areas, and thereby reduce the aerodynamic generation of noise. Each vortex generator includes plural elongated elements in the form of rigid rods or flexible bristles protruding laterally outwardly from the respective edge of the control surface. The vortex generators are preferably arranged on the inboard and outboard edges of high lift flaps and slats.

Noise reducing vortex generators on aircraft wing control surfaces

An adaptive flow body is provided whose profile can be adapted to different operating requirements regarding lift and crosswinds, flow resistance, and steering. The rear part of the flow body is divided into two rear partial profiles by a slot that penetrates from the trailing edge toward the middle part in the lengthwise direction of the flow body profile. These rear partial profiles each also have a flexible inner skin and flexible outer skins fastened continuously on the middle part. An actuator with pushing or pulling movements acts on each inner skin, which movements are transmitted by joints from the inner skin to internal structural elements which transmit these movements through rigid connections as bending moments to the outer skin. The adaptive flow body has a rigid middle part, a forward leading part, and a rear trailing part fastened thereto, with flexible cladding that covers the leading and trailing edges, and structural elements located in the front or rear parts and driven by actuators which act on the flexible cladding.

Adaptive flow body

Growing community of inventors

Hoehenkirchen, Germany

Michael Gruenewald