Researchers are using microperforated 3D panels to stabilize the boundary layer on aircraft wings – a breakthrough for more efficient and lower-emission aviation.
The swept wing in the measuring section of the low-speed wind tunnel in Braunschweig. The 3D-printed extraction panel was installed in the upper third of the wing and can be seen in gray.
Hendrik Traub
Researchers at the Technical University of Braunschweig have achieved an important breakthrough for sustainable aviation in the SE²A Cluster of Excellence: using specially developed, 3D-printed suction panels, they have succeeded in stabilizing the airflow along aircraft wings in a targeted manner, thereby reducing drag.
The experiments were conducted in the Braunschweig Low-Speed Wind Tunnel (NWB), where boundary layer behavior can be simulated under realistic conditions. The aim of the research is to reduce emissions and energy consumption in aviation.
The boundary layer – the area of flow directly at the wing surface – plays a central role in this. Back in 2024, the team demonstrated that micro-perforated extraction panels from a 3D printer enable laminarization of the boundary layer. Part of the air is extracted through tiny holes, which stabilizes the flow.
Friction Reduced by Up to 90%
In May 2025, a laminar boundary layer was successfully created on a 3D-printed sickle wing for the first time. The laminar-turbulent transition was shifted downstream in a targeted manner. Laminar flow reduces friction by up to 90% – a major advantage, as air friction accounts for about half of the aerodynamic drag of modern aircraft.
The sickle wing was designed specifically for these investigations at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics. Its special geometry allows the targeted analysis of aerodynamic transitions. The micro-perforated suction panels were manufactured at the Institute of Mechanics and Adaptronics. The combination of design, manufacturing, and wind tunnel tests, also in collaboration with DLR, shows that laminar flow control using 3D printing is a promising approach for more efficient aircraft – from gliders to passenger jets.
This is a partly automated translation of this german article.
