Microblowing Technique for Drag Reduction

NASA seeks to develop technologies for aircraft drag reduction which contribute to improved aerodynamic efficiency in support of national goals for reducing fuel consumption, operating costs, and emissions. The most significant opportunity for efficiency improvement is the reduction of turbulent skin friction drag. NASA research into the microblowing technique (MBT) has been shown to reduce skin friction drag by 50 to 70 percent in subsonic flow and 80 to 90 percent in supersonic flow, which can translate into significant fuel savings. While small-scale wind tunnel testing has been performed to prove the potential benefits of the MBT, additional research is required to develop a complete understanding of boundary layer dynamics, conduct large-scale experiments, and estimate system weight, efficiency, and cost impacts of implementing the MBT on an actual aircraft. Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) will address these challenges and mature the MBT with the goal of significantly reducing skin friction drag for aircraft at both high subsonic (0.7 < M < 0.9) and low supersonic speeds (M < 3).