Three-Dimensional Global Stability Analysis and Bio-Mimetic Control of Buffet Phenomena via Wings with Wavy Leading and Trailing Edges

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Transonic buffet is an instability characterized by periodic self-sustained shock-oscillations that occur on aircraft wings at transonic conditions for increasing angles of attack. Controlling and suppressing buffet can have a significant impact in improving the aircraft overall performance and safety. To control buffet, we here proposed wings with wavy leading- and trailing edges, in the attempt to mimic the performance enhancement capabilities of the humpback whale pectoral fins. The effects of wavy leading- and trailing-edges was first tested on periodic (infinitely wide) wings at buffet conditions and it was found that wavy leading-edges are successful in suppressing the instability, while wavy trailing-edges have little or not effect. Wavy leading-edges have therefore been applied to finite wings at buffet conditions and the effect of different characteristic parameters (i.e. waviness amplitude and wavelength, waviness spanwise starting location) has been investigated. Wavy leading-edges on finite wings seem to be less effective in suppressing buffet, but the amplitude of the shock-oscillations is anyway reduced.