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LUFTHANSA TECHNIK TO DEVELOP AEROSHARK TECHNOLOGY FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE AVIATION
Lufthansa Technik uses Ansys’ simulation solutions to create and validate an aircraft coating technology inspired by shark skin that significantly reduces drag, fuel consumption, and CO2 emissions.
Using Ansys CFX, Lufthansa Technik created a CFD model of the Boeing 777-300ER including realistic wing shape. This helped determine the pressure distribution and corresponding forces and moments which act on the aircraft.
Lufthansa Technik integrates Ansys’ simulation solutions to design and certify AeroSHARK, a biomimetic coating technology that emulates shark skin and significantly reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
By leveraging Ansys’ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and high-performance computing (HPC) technology, Lufthansa Technik and BASF, a chemical company, designed the coating film with a subtle ribbed texture consisting of small elevations referred to as riblets. The riblet effect imitates the placoid scales on shark skin, which help sharks cut through water effortlessly by reducing drag and friction while increasing buoyancy. Engineers used Ansys’ CFD to analyze turbulent flow phenomena surrounding the riblets to ensure they would generate the same effect.
Lufthansa Technik used Ansys’ tools to build and validate smaller, more generic virtual prototypes of AeroSHARK before scaling and tailoring the prototypes through comprehensive aerodynamic simulations. With the ability to simulate the entire aircraft, including in-flight behaviour, and verify the riblet effect using innovative turbulence modelling, Lufthansa Technik reduced the risk of physical flight tests and drastically reduced the time to certification.
AeroSHARK is certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the American Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) for two types of Boeing 777s and is currently operating in flight by Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and Lufthansa Cargo. Once all eleven Boeing 777Fs at Lufthansa Cargo and all twelve 777-300ERs at SWISS have received their AeroSHARK modification, they will reduce the Lufthansa Group's carbon footprint by more than 25,000 tons annually.
Today, because of successful simulation-powered testing, 40% of the aircraft can already be covered by AeroSHARK with plans to extend its coverage to other areas of the plane.
Visit Ansys at the 2023 Paris Air Show in France from June 19-25 to learn more about simulation’s impact in the aviation industry.
Lufthansa Technik integrates Ansys’ simulation solutions to design and certify AeroSHARK, a biomimetic coating technology that emulates shark skin and significantly reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
By leveraging Ansys’ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and high-performance computing (HPC) technology, Lufthansa Technik and BASF, a chemical company, designed the coating film with a subtle ribbed texture consisting of small elevations referred to as riblets. The riblet effect imitates the placoid scales on shark skin, which help sharks cut through water effortlessly by reducing drag and friction while increasing buoyancy. Engineers used Ansys’ CFD to analyze turbulent flow phenomena surrounding the riblets to ensure they would generate the same effect.
Lufthansa Technik used Ansys’ tools to build and validate smaller, more generic virtual prototypes of AeroSHARK before scaling and tailoring the prototypes through comprehensive aerodynamic simulations. With the ability to simulate the entire aircraft, including in-flight behaviour, and verify the riblet effect using innovative turbulence modelling, Lufthansa Technik reduced the risk of physical flight tests and drastically reduced the time to certification.
AeroSHARK is certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the American Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) for two types of Boeing 777s and is currently operating in flight by Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and Lufthansa Cargo. Once all eleven Boeing 777Fs at Lufthansa Cargo and all twelve 777-300ERs at SWISS have received their AeroSHARK modification, they will reduce the Lufthansa Group's carbon footprint by more than 25,000 tons annually.
Today, because of successful simulation-powered testing, 40% of the aircraft can already be covered by AeroSHARK with plans to extend its coverage to other areas of the plane.
Visit Ansys at the 2023 Paris Air Show in France from June 19-25 to learn more about simulation’s impact in the aviation industry.
www.ansys.com
