A CFD-Based Comparative Analysis of Passive and Active Winglets for Narrow-Body Aircraft: Aerodynamic Performance, Fuel Efficiency, And Structural Trade-Offs

This study presents a high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based comparative analysis of passive and active winglet configurations for narrow-body aircraft, focusing on aerodynamic performance, fuel efficiency, and structural trade-offs. While passive winglets are widely implemented due to their simplicity and drag-reduction benefits, active winglets offer adaptive geometry modulation, enhancing performance across various flight phases. Using an Airbus A320-style model, CFD simulations were conducted under standardized cruise conditions to quantify lift (Cl), drag (Cd), and the lift-to-drag ratio (L/D), complemented by scoring for structural complexity and maintenance. The results revealed that the active winglet outperformed the passive configuration, yielding a 10.5% L/D improvement and up to a 6.11% drag reduction during cruise, which translates to fuel savings of 3.87–6.11% across takeoff, cruise, and descent. However, the trade-off analysis highlighted significantly increased structural, actuation, and maintenance demands in active systems. As a solution, a hybrid winglet design—combining passive-flex tips with low-degree-of-freedom actuators—was proposed to balance aerodynamic gains with integration feasibility. The study contributes novel, CFD-driven, regionally contextualized data to sustainable aircraft design, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia’s aviation sector. Limitations include the lack of wind tunnel validation and simplified actuator modeling. Future research should focus on prototyping, aeroelastic simulation, and the integration of AI-based real-time control. The findings offer practical insights for fleet retrofitting and next-generation aerodynamic optimization.