Amélioration des performances de l’avion CRJ700 grâce à des ailettes adaptatives à angle de torsion variable

Abstract

This thesis explores the potential of adaptive winglets with variable twist angle to enhance the aerodynamic and energy performance of the Bombardier CRJ700. The objective is to assess to what extent the dynamic adjustment of the winglet twist angle can optimize lift, reduce drag, and improve the overall energy efficiency of the aircraft. The methodological approach combines preliminary simulations using the Vortex Lattice Method (VLM) and detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses performed in Star-CCM+. These simulations were validated using data from the level-D certified flight simulator of the Laboratory for Research in Active Control, Avionics, and AeroServoElasticity (LARCASE). The CFD results enabled the analysis of aerodynamic coefficient variations as a function of the twist angle under various flight conditions and showed that the use of adaptive winglets leads to a significant drag reduction. A performance study was subsequently carried out using a model developed and validated at LARCASE to simulate the flight trajectories of the CRJ700 equipped with adaptive winglets. Two optimization strategies were evaluated during the climb phase : one aiming to reduce the climb time and fuel consumption (with respective gains of up to 1.82% and 1.24%), and another targeting the maximization of horizontal distance covered (up to 2.67%). In cruise conditions, fuel savings of up to 0.4% were also observed. These results confirm the potential of variable twist angle adaptive winglets as a means to optimize the overall performance of the CRJ700.

Date	19 Aug 2025
Original language	French
Awarding Institution	École de technologie supérieure
Supervisor	Ruxandra Botez (Supervisor)