Abstract
Laminar flow control shows an unparalleled potential to increase the energy efficiency of state-of-the-art transport aircraft. However, active boundary layer suction requires micro-metre precision and is associated with extensive manufacturing effort. This study investigates new manufacturing technologies, such as additive manufacturing and laminating of porous sheets for boundary layer suction. The new porous sheets extend the design space of porous skins for laminar flow control and aim to reduce their manufacturing effort. This research shows the feasibility of additively manufactured and laminated porous sheets with perforation diameters below 250 μm and pressure drop characteristics comparable to available etched and laser-drilled sheets.
