International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Satyaprakash Tiwari, Dr Alok Choudhary
Abstract: The increasing demand for fuel-efficient and environmentally sustainable commercial aircraft has encouraged the development of advanced aerodynamic technologies for drag reduction and performance enhancement. Winglets are widely used in modern aircraft to reduce induced drag, minimise wake turbulence and improve aerodynamic efficiency. This study focuses on the aerodynamic performance evaluation of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)-based blended winglets for commercial aircraft using ANSYS simulation. A lightweight blended winglet model is developed using CFRP and glass-carbon composite materials to improve structural strength while reducing overall wingtip weight, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis is performed to evaluate airflow characteristics, pressure distribution, lift generation, drag reduction and wake turbulence behaviour around the winglet structure. The performance of the optimised blended winglet is compared with a conventional wingtip configuration on aerodynamic efficiency, stability and drag characteristics. Twelve sources published between 2004 and 2023 are reviewed and organised into three themes covering commercial aircraft wing design and aerodynamic performance, composite materials and lightweight structures, and numerical simulation with safety and performance assessment. The reviewed evidence is consolidated into comparative tables that map each source to its focus, method, principal contribution and limitation, alongside an assessment of the disciplinary composition of the corpus and the aerodynamic evaluation parameters it addresses. Five research gaps are identified and mapped to corresponding research directions. The simulation results demonstrate that the CFRP-based blended winglet significantly reduces induced drag and wake turbulence while improving lift-to-drag ratio and overall flight performance.
