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SUMMARY:Why aircraft may soon grow bumps on their wings - Professor Holger
  Babinsky\, Professor of Aerodynamics\, Department of Engineering\, Univer
 sity of Cambridge
DTSTART:20140303T193000Z
DTEND:20140303T210000Z
UID:TALK48246@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Nigel Bennee
DESCRIPTION:Improving the efficiency of modern transport aircraft continue
 s to be an active area of research. Although the current design solution h
 as now reached a high level of maturity\, there are potential developments
  afoot that may force engineers to re-think the shape of the wings. \n\nTh
 e most significant development is the possible introduction of ‘laminar 
 flow wings’. These have a subtly altered shape to promote a greater exte
 nt of 'laminar flow' (as opposed to turbulent flow which covers more than 
 90% of current wings). Laminar flow has a lower skin friction drag and thi
 s therefore has the potential to reduce aircraft drag considerably. Howeve
 r\, the different shaping of the wing cross-section (the aerofoil) is like
 ly to lead to the increase of another\, more obscure\, drag component: wav
 e drag. \n\nIn this lecture I will begin by re-visiting how lift is genera
 ted by aerofoils (hopefully getting rid of some misconceptions) and why\, 
 in modern transonic aircraft\, this leads to the generation of shock waves
  - the cause of wave drag. \n\nFinding flow control devices that can allev
 iate the adverse effects of shock waves on wings has been an actively rese
 arched across the world for several decades. Lately\, much work has focuse
 d on the three-dimensional 'shock control bump' which was first tested her
 e in Cambridge more than a decade ago. 
LOCATION:Wolfson Lecture Theatre\, Churchill College\, Storey's Way\, Camb
 ridge
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