Fast, accurate drag predictions could help improve aircraft design

Researchers at the University of Surrey have proposed a computational approach that can provide aerodynamic drag data more efficiently during the early stages of aircraft design. It is hoped that AeroMap could help develop safer and more fuel-efficient aircraft.

Drag is the aerodynamic force that opposes an aircraft‘s motion through the air. Being able to predict drag accurately at an early design stage helps engineers avoid later adjustments that can lead to additional time and cost. Reliable early estimates can also reduce the need for extensive wind tunnel testing or large-scale computer simulations.

AeroMap estimates drag for different wing-body configurations operating at speeds close to the speed of sound. In a study published in Aerospace Science and Technology, researchers show how AeroMap provides datasets up to 10 to 100 times faster than high-fidelity simulations currently on the market, while maintaining good accuracy.

The researchers suggest that such improvements in prediction speed could support the development of more fuel-efficient aircraft configurations by allowing designers to assess a wider range of design options in less time.

“Our goal was to develop a method that provides reliable transonic aerodynamic predictions for a range of configurations, without the high computational cost of full-scale simulations. By providing reliable results earlier in the design process, AeroMap reduces the need for costly redesigns and repeated wind-tunnel testing.

“It also delivers the level of detail engineers need to refine concepts more efficiently and with greater confidence,” says Dr. Rejish Jesudasan, research fellow at the University of Surrey and lead author of the study.

AeroMap is based on a viscous-coupled full potential method, which combines a reduced form of the Navier–Stokes equations that describe airflow with a model of the thin boundary layer of air that moves along an aircraft’s surface. This approach enables AeroMap to capture the main effects of drag without the high computing demands of more detailed simulations. As a result, it provides a practical tool for the early stages of aircraft design, when engineers need results that are both reliable and rapid.

Many existing models still rely on empirical methods developed several decades ago. Although these remain widely used, they can be less accurate when applied to modern, high-efficiency wing designs. AeroMap has been validated against NASA wind tunnel data, with results showing close agreement between its predictions and experimental measurements, indicating its suitability for sustainable aircraft development.

“Accurately predicting the transonic performance of aircraft configurations, during early concept studies, remains a significant challenge. Previous empirical approaches, based on older datasets, can struggle to capture the behavior of modern high-efficiency wings.

“AeroMap combines established aerodynamic principles in a way that improves the reliability of drag predictions during early development, helping engineers make better-informed design decisions,” says Dr. Simao Marques.

“We are exploring how AeroMap can be combined with optimization techniques to assess a wider range of wing-body configurations and performance scenarios. This approach could help engineers identify more efficient designs earlier in the process, potentially reducing lifecycle costs and supporting the industry as it works toward future sustainability goals,” says John Doherty.