A shock wave suppression device is configured to suppress a shock wave generated on a blade surface of a blade, the shock wave suppression device including a bump cover provided to follow the blade surface and deformable to protrude outward from the blade surface, and a displacing unit configured to displace the bump cover between a steady state to follow the blade surface and a deformed state to protrude outward from the blade surface. The bump cover has a curved shape in the deformed state configured to be a continuous surface from an upstream side to a downstream side in a flow direction of a fluid on the blade surface.

A method of improving optical characteristics of an optical window operating in a flow of fluid and having first and second panes of optically transmissive material—each having an edge adjacent to, parallel with, and at least partially coextensive with each other—is described herein. The method includes inserting a thermally conductive blade between two adjacent edges of the first and second panes of optically transmissive material; and lifting an adverse flow stagnation zone forward of the optical window by protruding the thermally conductive blade into the flow of fluid from an outer surface of the panes of the optical window.

A method and apparatus are presented. An active flow control system comprises a flow control valve, a manifold, and a temperature control system. The flow control valve is configured to control a flow of air into the manifold. The manifold is operatively connected to a number of actuators. The temperature control system is configured to heat at least a portion of the flow of air.

A system and method for controlling hypersonic boundary layer transition for a hypersonic flight vehicle are disclosed. The reduction or elimination of hot streaks that naturally occurs in the boundary layer transition process during hypersonic flight is achieved by utilizing various techniques. One such technique utilizes roughness elements to counteract streak development. The techniques for reducing or eliminating the streaks are tailored such that the nonlinear stages of transition are profoundly altered. This results in significant drag reduction, and consequently an increase in range of the vehicle, and also a reduction of the weight penalty due to the Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) as less protective material would be required, thus allowing for an increased payload and/or range of the vehicle.

The invention discloses a method and modified aerodynamic apparatuses: fluid pushers-off and fluid motion-sensors, making enable efficient implementation and use of a controllable enhanced jet-effect, either the waving jet-effect, the Coanda jet-effect, the lift-effect, the effect of thrust, the Venturi effect, and/or the de Laval jet-effect, all are controllable using the Peltier effect and/or the Seebeck effect. The modified aerodynamic apparatuses are geometrically shaped and supplied with built-in thermoelectric devices, wherein the presence of the thermoelectric devices provides for new functional properties of the modified aerodynamic apparatuses. The method solves the problem of effective control of the operation of modified aerodynamic apparatuses such as airfoil wings of a flying vehicle, convergent-divergent nozzles, loudspeakers, and detectors of acoustic waves, all of a highly-efficient functionality.

A shock wave suppression device is configured to suppress a shock wave generated on a blade surface of a blade, the shock wave suppression device including a bump cover provided to follow the blade surface and deformable to protrude outward from the blade surface, and a displacing unit configured to displace the bump cover between a steady state to follow the blade surface and a deformed state to protrude outward from the blade surface. The bump cover has a curved shape in the deformed state configured to be a continuous surface from an upstream side to a downstream side in a flow direction of a fluid flowing through the blade surface.

A method and apparatus are presented. An active flow control system comprises a flow control valve, a manifold, and a temperature control system. The flow control valve is configured to control a flow of air into the manifold. The manifold is operatively connected to a number of actuators. The temperature control system is configured to heat at least a portion of the flow of air.

A system and method for controlling hypersonic boundary layer transition for a hypersonic flight vehicle are disclosed. The reduction or elimination of hot streaks that naturally occurs in the boundary layer transition process during hypersonic flight is achieved by utilizing various techniques. One such technique utilizes roughness elements to counteract streak development. The techniques for reducing or eliminating the streaks are tailored such that the nonlinear stages of transition are profoundly altered. This results in significant drag reduction, and consequently an increase in range of the vehicle, and also a reduction of the weight penalty due to the Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) as less protective material would be required, thus allowing for an increased payload and/or range of the vehicle.

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for reducing noise levels in a passenger cabin of an aircraft. In one example, an aircraft includes a wing coupled to a fuselage. The wing is configured to heat air to provide a first stream of air from a central portion of a wing segment of the wing extending between the fuselage and a first engine of an aircraft. The first stream of air is at a higher temperature than an adjacent stream of air from the wing.

An ice-protection system for an aerodynamic structure for an aircraft comprising: an outer skin defined by a leading edge point and a trailing edge point that are interconnected by an upper skin and a lower skin, an internal chamber defined within the outer skin configured to be in fluid communication with the atmosphere external to the outer skin via an inlet and an outlet, and at least one air heater provided within the chamber in proximity to the inlet, wherein during use, a pressure differential exists between the inlet and the outlet that causes external air to flow through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet, and wherein the heater is configured to heat the air passing through the inlet such that the temperature of the air in the chamber is sufficiently increased so as to prevent ice accretion on the outer skin.