<![CDATA[The engine nacelle, particularly the inlet section, plays a crucial role in propulsion performance as it affects the pressure and airflow velocity entering the fan and compressor. This study compares the aerodynamic performance of two inlet geometries: the flattened lip design of the Boeing 737-800NG and the circular lip design of the Airbus A320. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation was conducted using ANSYS Fluent, with three-dimensional models developed in SolidWorks based on official geometrical data from Boeing and Airbus. The analyzed parameters included average pressure, airflow velocity, P/V ratio, drag force, and drag Coefficient under two operating conditions—cruise (Mach 0.7) and climb (Mach 0.2). The results show that the Boeing inlet produced lower drag forces, 824.43 N during cruise and 234.29 N during climb, compared to Airbus with 911.94 N and 249.56 N, respectively. The flattened lip design demonstrated better flow diffusion efficiency and reduced drag by up to 9.59%. In conclusion, inlet geometry significantly influences aerodynamic efficiency. Optimizing inlet contour can enhance aircraft performance without major structural modifications, offering potential improvements for future narrow-body aircraft design.]]>
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