Evaluation of traditional and slotted winglets for enhanced aerodynamic efficiency

Minimizing drag is a critical focus in aviation, significantly influencing energy efficiency and performance. Lift-induced drag accounts for approximately 40% of total drag during cruise flight and 80%–90% during takeoff phase. Enhancing the coefficient of lift-to-drag ratio which is also termed as aerodynamic efficiency is a proven approach to reducing energy consumption in aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. Wingtip devices, such as winglets, offer a practical solution by mitigating induced drag generated by wingtip vortices. This study investigates the aerodynamic performance of three configurations: a plain wing, a wing with a traditional winglet, and a wing with a slotted winglet. The analysis was conducted using computational fluid dynamics software at angles of attack ranging from −4° to 12°, with velocities of 20 and 270 m/s, corresponding to Reynolds numbers of 2.5 × 106 and 3.3 × 107, respectively. Results demonstrated that the traditional winglet achieved a 4% average improvement in aerodynamic efficiency, while the slotted winglet exhibited a 3.16% enhancement over the plain wing. Energy consumption was reduced by 4% and 3.16% with traditional and slotted winglets, respectively. These findings validate the effectiveness of winglets in improving aerodynamic efficiency and provide insight for optimizing wingtip device design.