• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.846-852
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• 2012

The present paper is the preliminary study of the development of a morphing aircraft wing and investigates experimently the aerodynamic characteristics of a base airfoil and a morphing airfoil. The wind tunnel tests are conducted for a base Clark-Y airfoil, an airfoil with a mechanical flap, and a morphing airfoil. Lifts, drags, and pitching moments are measured by using a three-axis load cell and they are calibrated by considering solid blockage and wake blockage. The wind tunnel tests are conducted for various air speeds, Reynolds' numbers, and angles of attack. The experimental results show that the aerodynamic characteristics of the morphing airfoil in lift-drag and lift-pitching moment are better than those of the airfoil with a mechanical flap.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.562-567
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• 2016

Morphing wing which has a configuration optimized to flight speed and condition is faced to a lot of barriers to be overcome such as actuator technique, structural mechanization technique, flexible skin material, control law, and so on. As the first step for developing a morphing wing with rapid response, we designed and fabricated the morphing airfoil using a SMA(shape memory alloy) wire actuator and torsional bias springs. The design concept of the morphing airfoil was verified through operation test. The measured results show that the flap deflects smoothly and fast.

• Proceeding of EDISON Challenge
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• 2017.03a
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• pp.333-339
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• 2017

최근에는 항공기의 임무 형태나 주위 환경에 따라 변할 수 있는 passive morphing airfoil에 대한 연구가 활발히 이루어지고 있다. 하지만 복잡한 모델링, 실험 과정 및 긴 해석 시간 때문에 아직 여러 chiral 구조를 체계적으로 비교하지 못 하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 이러한 chiral meso structure 중 하나인 Anti-Tetra Chiral 구조를 Hooke's law에 기반을 두어 등가 물성치를 구해보고, 사각형 모양의 연속체 요소로 등가 모델링을 하였다. 그 후, airfoil 내부에 연속체 요소를 직접 적용하여 실제 모델링한 경우와 비교해 본 결과 경향성 파악에 충분한 오차 범위를 얻을 수 있었다. 이를 통해 여러종류의 Chiral meso structure과 기하학적 변수를 적용한 에어포일을 효율적으로 해석할 수 있음을 제시할 수 있다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.1-5
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• 2006

Birds and insect in nature morph their mean camberline shapes to obtain both lift and thrust simultaneously. Previous unsteady thin airfoil theories were derived mainly for a rigid flapping airfoil. An extended unsteady thin airfoil theory for a deformable airfoil is required to analyze the unsteady two-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics of a biomorphing wing. Theodorsen's approach is extended to calculate the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of a biomorphing airfoil. The mean camberline of the airfoil is represented as a polynomial. The unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of the morphing airfoil are represented as noncirculatory and circulatory terms. Present theory can be applied to the unsteady aerodynamic analysis of a flapping biomorphing airfoil and the aeroelastic analysis of a morphing wing.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2017

The performances of lifting surfaces are particularly critical in specific flight conditions like takeoff and landing. Different systems can be used to increase the lift and drag coefficients in such conditions like slat, flap or ailerons. Nevertheless they increase the losses and make difficult the mechanical design of wing structures. Morphing surfaces are a compromise between a right increase in lift and a reduction of parts movements involved in the actuation. Furthermore these systems are suitable for more than one flight condition with low inertia problems. So, flap and slats can be easily substituted by the corresponding morphing shapes. This paper deals with a genetic optimization of an airfoil with morphing flap with an already optimized nose. Indeed, two different codes are used to solve the equations, a finite volume code suitable for structured grids named ZEN and the EulerBoundary Layer Drela's code MSES. First a number of different preliminary design tests were done considering a specific set of design variables in order to restrict the design region. Then a RANS optimization with a single design point related to the take-off flight condition has been carried out in order to refine the previous design. Results are shown using the characteristic curves of the best and of the baseline reported to outline the computed performances enhancements. They reveal how the contemporary use of a morphing acting on the nose of the main component and the trailing edge of the flap drive towards a total not negligible increment in lift.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.659-678
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• 2014

The study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of a high TRL solution for a wing flap segment characterized by morphable camber airfoil and properly tailored to be implemented on a real-scale regional transportation aircraft. On the base of specific aerodynamic requirements in terms of target airfoil shapes and related external loads, the structural layout of the device was preliminarily defined. Advanced FE analyses were then carried out in order to properly size the load-carrying structure and the embedded actuation system. A full scale limited span prototype was finally manufactured and tested to: ${\bullet}$ demonstrate the morphing capability of the conceived structural layout; ${\bullet}$ demonstrate the capability of the morphing structure to withstand static loads representative of the limit aerodynamic pressures expected in service; ${\bullet}$ characterize the dynamic behavior of the morphing structure through the identification of the most significant normal modes. Obtained results showed high correlation levels with respect to numerical expectations thus proving the compliance of the device with the design requirements as well as the goodness of modeling approaches implemented during the design phase.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.103-117
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• 2022

In this paper, a novel morphing mechanism using a deployable scissor structure was proposed for a variable camber morphing wing. The mechanism was designed through the optimization process so that the rib can form the target airfoils with different cambers. Lastly, the morphing wing was manufactured and its performance was successfully evaluated. The mechanism of the morphing wing rib was realized by a set of deployable scissor structure that can form diverse curvatures. This characteristic of the structure allows the mechanism to vary the camber that refers to the airfoil's curvature. The mechanism is not restrictive in defining the target shapes, allowing various airfoils and overall morphing wing shape to be implemented.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2012

In general, a conventional flap on an aircraft wing can reduce the aerodynamic efficiency due to geometric discontinuity. On the other hand, the aerodynamic performance can be improved by using a shape-morphing wing instead of a separate flap. In this research, a new flap morphing mechanism that can change the wing shape smoothly was devised to prevent aerodynamic losses. Moreover, a prototype wing was fabricated to demonstrate the morphing mechanism. A shape memory alloy (SMA) wire actuator was used for the morphing wing. The specific current range was measured to control the SMA actuator. The deflection angles at the trailing edge were also measured while various currents were applied to the SMA actuator. The trailing edge of the wing changed smoothly when the current was applied. Moreover, the deflection angle also increased as the current increased. The maximum frequency level was around 0.1 Hz. The aerodynamic performance of the deformed airfoil by the SMA wire was analyzed by using the commercial program GAMBIT and FLUENT. The results were compared with the results of an undeformed wing. It was demonstrated that the morphing mechanism changes the wing shape smoothly without the extension of the wing skin.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.331-351
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• 2014

The paper presents the development of numerical models referred to a morphing actuated aileron. The structural solution adopted consists of an internal part made of a composite chiral honeycomb that bears a flexible skin with an adequate combination of flexural stiffness and in-plane compliance. The identification of such structural frame makes possible an investigation of different actuation concepts based on diffused and discrete actuators installed in the skin or in the skin-core connection. An efficient approach is presented for the development of aeroelastic condensed models of the aileron, which are used in sensitivity studies and optimization processes. The aerodynamic performances and the energy required to actuate the morphing surface are evaluated and the definition of a general energetic performance index makes also possible a comparison with a rigid aileron. The results show that the morphing system can exploit the fluid-structure interaction in order to reduce the actuation energy and to attain considerable variations in the lift coefficient of the airfoil.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.555-577
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• 2015

In the work at hand, the development of a morphing flap, actuated through shape memory alloy load bearing elements, is described. Moving from aerodynamic specifications, prescribing the morphed shape enhancing the aerodynamic efficiency of the flap, a suitable actuation architecture was identified, able to affect the curvature. Each rib of the flap was split into three elastic elements, namely "cells", connected each others in serial way and providing the bending stiffness to the structure. The edges of each cell are linked to SMA elements, whose contraction induces rotation onto the cell itself with an increase of the local curvature of the flap airfoil. The cells are made of two metallic plates crossing each others to form a characteristic "X" configuration; a good flexibility and an acceptable stress concentration level was obtained non connecting the plates onto the crossing zone. After identifying the main design parameters of the structure (i.e. plates relative angle, thickness and depth, SMA length, cross section and connections to the cell) an optimization was performed, with the scope of enhancing the achievable rotation of the cell, its ability in absorbing the external aerodynamic loads and, at the same time, containing the stress level and the weight. The conceptual scheme of the architecture was then reinterpreted in view of a practical realization of the prototype. Implementation issues (SMA - cells connection and cells relative rotation to compensate the impressed inflection assuring the SMA pre-load) were considered. Through a detailed FE model the prototype morphing performance were investigated in presence of the most severe load conditions.