Functionally Graded TPMS Structures for Boundary Layer Suction on a Swept Wing
Jan KUBE, Lajos FOHLMEISTER, Rolf RADESPIEL, Christian HÜHNE
Abstract. Reducing aerodynamic drag via laminar flow on wings offers significant energy savings compared to common, mostly turbulent wings. At TU Braunschweig, an extended Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (xHLFC) concept has been developed, combining a laminar front-wing design with active suction panels in the rear upper shell of the wing [1]. To avoid heavy metal suction skins and panel structures and a complicated assembly, this concept implements a fully integrated, polymer 3D-printed panel employing a sandwich-like structure: a micro-perforated skin with printed perforations on a Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) based core. Next to being lightweight, the TPMS core mechanically supports the suction skin and enables internal transport and pressure control of the suction air flow. This study focuses on Gyroid structures with their channel-like inner structure and adaptability through functional grading. To validate the approach, a complete suction panel with a specifically graded Gyroid core was integrated into a swept wing and tested in a laminar low-speed wind tunnel, showing up to 25 % longer laminar boundary layers at 60 m/s.
Keywords
TPMS, Gyroid, Additive Manufacturing, HLFC
Published online 7/20/2026, 4 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Jan KUBE, Lajos FOHLMEISTER, Rolf RADESPIEL, Christian HÜHNE, Functionally Graded TPMS Structures for Boundary Layer Suction on a Swept Wing, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 1310-1313, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-227
The article was published as article 227 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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