NASA’s Ames Research Center logo.
Mar 9, 2023
No, it’s not hypermodern art. This image, generated by NASA’s high-performance computers, shows a Transonic Truss Braced Wing (TTBW) aircraft concept being tested in a virtual wind tunnel, showing how its wings interact with the air around them.
In this case, the dark red area along the front of the wing represents higher-speed airflow as the TTBW’s wings, which are thinner than those of today’s commercial airliners, pierce the air. The tan-colored area shows the relatively smooth wake generated by the aerodynamic wings.
A TTBW aircraft produces less drag due to its longer, thinner wings supported by aerodynamic trusses. In flight, it could consume up to 10% less jet fuel than a standard airliner.
The Advanced Supercomputing Division of NASA’s Ames Research Center in California created this image as part of an effort by the Transformational Tools and Technologies project to develop computational tools for TTBW research.
In January, NASA selected a TTBW concept from The Boeing Company for its Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project.
To learn more about this supercomputing project, check out this link: https://www.nas.nasa.gov/SC22/research/project4.html
Related links:
NASA’s Ames Research Center: https://www.nasa.gov/ames
Transformational Tools and Technologies project: https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch/programs/tacp/ttt
Future Aircraft: https://www.nasa.gov/subject/7565/future-aircraft
Green Aviation: https://www.nasa.gov/subject/7564/green-aviation
Aeronautics: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/index.html
Image Credits: NASA/Oliver Browne/Text Credits: NASA/Lillian Gipson.
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