Steady And Unsteady State Of Boeing 737 Airfoil
Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Pete Johnson
College
College of Engineering (COE)
Discipline(s)
Computational fluid dynamics, Engineering
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-24-2025
Abstract
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to model objects based on the principle of fluid mechanics, with governing equations built in to understand how the fluid moves in the object. This study seeks to understand the fluid motion (air) of a Boeing 737 airfoil, a commonly used aircraft by airline companies, under different conditions in different stages of flight: takeoff, cruising, and landing. The primary objective is to compare steady state versus unsteady state due to velocity and turbulence at various stages of flight. Causes of unsteady state flow are weather, jet stream, mountain waves, and interaction of the surrounding during takeoff and landing. From my CFD model, I expect to see turbulence depend more on the velocity and the pressure when the airfoil is taking off and landing, compared to cruising. With this, comparing the lift coefficient at each of the stages of flight, the lift coefficient had a greater impact on the airfoil during takeoff and landing than cruising.
Recommended Citation
Forde, Gabriella, "Steady And Unsteady State Of Boeing 737 Airfoil" (2025). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1477.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1477
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Gabriella Forde is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering from Bear, Delaware. She has demonstrated a longstanding passion for space exploration and aviation. Additionally, she is deeply interested in manufacturing processes. Her career aspirations include contributing to a team at NASA and working on the production of components for rockets designed for space travel.