PRC aerospace innovation reached SST wing?
APOLOGIES: THE WORD PRESS APP HAS GONE CRAZY, THIS BLOG HAS BEEN ORGANIZED BY SOME HYBERMONSTER
Below is an instructive article about a PRC research
effort that may have answers to the next generation of speed in flight!!!A contemporary Dorothy aviatrix might be heard to say to
Toto, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Carolina/Ohio/ California/Kansas
anymore.” Though airplane development has had solid roots in those American
locations for 121 years, there are data points suggesting that the Peoples
Republic of China may be challenging those loci of aerial innovation.
Recently, it was noted that “disruptive battery
innovation from the PRC company, Betavolt, miniature NUCLEAR
BATTERY that it says can keep working for up to 50 years.”
Today, significant US resources (NASA, universities and private initiatives) have
been searching for means to resurrect Supersonic flight and launching Hypersonic aircraft. The
obvious hurdles are environmental—noise and contrails. Not insurmountable hurdles, but research efforts offer no immediately certain answers.
“The PRC’s announcement is disruptive. If this innovative
design is successful, might not this authoritarian regime assert global
commercial dominance (both OEM and airline sectors) and could this Communist
country assert hegemonic control politically.
As noted before, the Administration and Congress must
recognize this emerging threat and consider the following actions IMMEDIATELY:
“This observation, albeit nascent, should cause the American
policymakers to focus their attention of what this nation should be doing; a
few suggestions (not in order of importance or action):
·
Increase
in private and federal investments in technology.
·
Heightened
awareness of Intellectual Properties related to the PRC.
·
Protection
of Formosa, a/k/a Taiwan, the world’s largest single computer chip producer a
critical asset to the Free World.
·
Establishment
of improved diplomatic relations by the FAA with all of the World’s CAAs.
Witness the speed with which 18 nations grounded the Max 8, the US’s
airworthiness stature suffered.
·
This
goal needs Congressional and Executive support in terms additional overseas
offices, staffing and budget.
·
Though
the top line of FAA certification experts is being tested, the Administrator
must identify individuals who are both knowledgeable on airworthiness issues
and good communicators. They must recognize that speaking in authoritative
tones no longer works. Yes the foreign counterpart may not be as expert, but
they must be treated as equal.
·
This
is a recommendation that begins with me. Constant reference to the FAA as the
GOLD STANDARD does not help. It is debatable whether the name is valid. The
perception is not widely held. The use of this sobriquet by Senior Federal
Executives, US Elected Legislators and others infuriate many, many
foreigners.
US intelligence agencies have labeled PRC made UASs as
security threats. Restrictions are being placed on the country’s Tik Tok app.
If the technology threat of the Red Dragon in aerospace has not been
designated as a risk, IT SHOULD BE NOW
New wing design could reduce sonic booms of an
aircraft
Aug 11, 2024A team of scientists from Northwestern Polytechnical University in China,
led by Professor Gao Chao, has proposed an innovative wing design for supersonic aircraft. The new design aims to MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF SONIC BOOMS AND ENHANCE
AERODYNAMIC EFFICIENCY. This is achieved through strategic placement of
holes in the wings, which can help MITIGATE DAMAGING VIBRATIONS caused
by shock waves, as an aircraft nears the speed of sound.
Design evolution
New design challenges traditional wing principles
Traditional aircraft wings are designed based on principles
established by the Wright brothers and Bernoulli’s principle. This
principle states that faster airflow over the top of a wing results
in lower pressure, while slower airflow underneath creates higher
pressure, thus lifting the aircraft. However, as a[n] plane
approaches the speed of sound, shock waves form that create turbulence and
drag, reducing lift and causing damaging vibrations.
Efficiency boost
How does the new wing design work?
The Chinese research team used computer simulations and
wind tunnel experiments to show that HOLES IN THE WING COULD DISRUPT
THESE SHOCK WAVES AND LESSEN THE RESULTING VIBRATIONS. Their findings
showed a significant increase of over 10% in aerodynamic efficiency. The
solution proposed by Gao’s team involves covering these holes with a
mechanism that opens only when the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound,
allowing for effective management of airflow around the wing.
Drag reduction
Air pump adjusts jet stream intensity.
An air pump within these holes adjusts the intensity of
the jet stream, limiting turbulence toward the front of the wing and reducing
wing vibrations. Despite a slight loss in lift, this method results
in a HIGHER LIFT-TO-DRAG RATIO DUE TO OVERALL DRAG REDUCTION. The team’s
findings were published in Acta Aerodynamica Sinica, a Chinese
aviation journal.
Ongoing research
Supersonic jets: A global challenge
Supersonic jets are currently produced by only a few
countries due to their specialized and expensive construction requirements.
Sonic booms resulting from supersonic speeds have led to restrictions on
supersonic travel over populated areas and contributed to the retirement of
Concorde – Anglo-French supersonic airliner – in 2003.While Gao’s team plans
further wind tunnel testing to refine their technology, OTHER RESEARCH TEAMS
WORLDWIDE ARE ALSO SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGES OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHT.
