OVERVIEW ON NACELLE DESIGN

Nacelles are responsible for good engine performance and considerable percentage of total aircraft drag, thus fuel consumption. Energy conservation and cost of fuel, among others, require good nacelle design. Optimized nacelle design would require CFD calculations of the flow around it, since high drag-generating phenomena, like shock waves and wake, may appear during flight. A literature review was carried out aiming at familiarization with nacelle types and basic rules for nacelle design. A methodology was established to determine main nacelle dimensions. A case study is presented and design optimization is proposed.