Assessing Environmental Impact of STOL Takeoff: A Computational Analysis of Geometric Modifications on Airfoils

Abstract

The aviation industry is responsible for roughly 950,000 metric tonnes of annual CO2 emissions, as well as contributing to 4% of global warming as of 2024. But as society transitions to prioritizing sustainability, the global aviation industry is faced with increasing pressure to decarbonize. A critical aspect of this larger “green aviation” agenda is minimizing fuel burn from aircraft’s energy-intensive phase of takeoff. Although they have experimented with various ‘green’ designs - which use systems such as blown lift technologies, bio-fuels, and electric and hybrid engines - engineers are still conducting research to determine the best ways to optimize aircraft efficiency and sustainability. Notably, the Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capable aircraft design poses a particular challenge. STOL aircraft are fixed-wing aircraft that can take off and land on runways that are a lot shorter than conventional runways, which allows STOL aircraft to operate in areas that conventional aircraft might not be able to reach. This creates opportunities to connect isolated communities and remote, unpredictable terrain to the outside world. Since STOL aircraft take off from significantly shorter runways, they are required to accelerate to liftoff speed incredibly rapidly, which demands a massive surge of engine power. This aggressive acceleration forces traditional STOL designs to burn a disproportionate amount of fuel in just a matter of seconds, highlighting the urgent need to structurally optimize aircraft to be inherently more efficient at translating engine power into aerodynamic lift. This issue leads us to examine a vital aspect of aircraft wing design that dictates how the aircraft interacts with moving air to keep the machine airborne: the airfoil. How do geometric modifications on airfoils affect the lift-to-drag ratio of an aircraft, and to what extent can these changes optimize takeoff capability and reduce the carbon footprint of STOL aircraft?