Experimental validation of a new morphing trailing edge system using Price – Païdoussis wind tunnel tests

This paper presents the design and manufacturing of a new morphing wing system carried out at the Laboratory of Applied Research in Active Controls, Avionics and AeroServoElasticity(LARCASE) at the ETS in Montréal. This first version of a morphing wing allows the deformation of its trailing edge, denote by Morphing Trailing Edge(MTE). In order to characterize the technical impact of this deformation, we compare its performance with that of a rigid aileron by testing in the LARCASE's price-Pa?doussis subsonic wind tunnel. The first set of results shows that it is possible to replace an aileron by a MTE on a wing, as an improvement was observed for the MTE aerodynamic performances with respect to the aileron aerodynamic performances.The improvement consisted in the fact that the drag coefficient was smaller, and the lift-to-drag ratio was higher for the same lift coefficient.     

Optimization of aerodynamic efficiency for twist morphing MAV wing

Twist morphing(TM) is a practical control technique in micro air vehicle(MAV) flight.However, TM wing has a lower aerodynamic efficiency(CL/CD) compared to membrane and rigid wing. This is due to massive drag penalty created on TM wing, which had overwhelmed the successive increase in its lift generation. Therefore, further CL/CDmaxoptimization on TM wing is needed to obtain the optimal condition for the morphing wing configuration. In this paper, two-way fluid–structure interaction(FSI) simulation and wind tunnel testing method are used to solve and study the basic wing aerodynamic performance over(non-optimal) TM, membrane and rigid wings. Then,a multifidelity data metamodel based design optimization(MBDO) process is adopted based on the Ansys-DesignXplorer frameworks. In the adaptive MBDO process, Kriging metamodel is used to construct the final multifidelity CL/CDresponses by utilizing 23 multi-fidelity sample points from the FSI simulation and experimental data. The optimization results show that the optimal TM wing configuration is able to produce better CL/CDmaxmagnitude by at least 2% than the non-optimal TM wings. The flow structure formation reveals that low TV strength on the optimal TM wing induces low CDgeneration which in turn improves its overall CL/CDmaxperformance.     

Transient aeroelastic responses and flutter analysis of a variable-span wing during the morphing process

To investigate the transient aeroelastic responses and flutter characteristics of a variablespan wing during the morphing process,a novel frst-order state-space aeroelastic model is proposed.The time-varying structural model of the morphing wing is established based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory with time-dependent boundary conditions.A nondimensionalization method is used to translate the time-dependent boundary conditions to be time-independent.The time-domain aerodynamic forces are calculated by the reduced-order unsteady vortex lattice method.The morphing parameters,i.e.,wing span length and morphing speed,are of particular interest for understanding the fundamental aeroelastic behavior of variable-span wings.A test case is proposed and numerical results indicate that the flutter characteristics are sensitive to both of the two morphing parameters.It could be noticed that the aeroelastic characteristics during the wing extracting process are more serious than those during the extending process at the same morphing speed by transient aeroelastic response analysis.In addition,a faster morphing process can get better aeroelastic performance while the mechanism comlexity will arise.     

Design and experiment of concentrated flexibility-based variable camber morphing wing

The morphing wing has a significant positive effect on the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft. This paper describes a leading-edge of variable camber wing with concentrated flexibility based on the geared five-bar mechanism. The driving points of morphing skin formed by the glass fibre composite sheet were optimized to make the skin deformation smooth. A geared fivebar kinematic mechanism rigidly connected to the skin was proposed to drive the leading-edge deformation. Besides, a new kind o...     

Effects of coarse riblets on air flow structures over a slender delta wing using particle image velocimetry

This research investigates the aerodynamic performance and flow characteristics of a delta wing with 65° sweep angle and with coarse axial riblets,and then compares with that of a smooth-surface delta wing.Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV)were utilized to visualize the flow over the wing at 6 cross-sections upright to the wing surface and parallel to the wing span,as well as 3 longitudinal sections on the leading edge,symmetry plane,and a plane between them at Angles of Attack(AOA)=20°and 30°and Re=1.2×10~5,2.4×10~5,and 3.6×10~5.The effects of the riblets were studied on the vortices diameter,vortex breakdown location,vortices distance from the wing surface,flow lines pattern nearby the wing,circulation distribution,and separation.The results show that the textured model has a positive effect on some of the parameters related to drag reduction and lift increase.The riblets increase the flow momentum near the wing’s upper surface except near the apex.They also increase the flow momentum behind the wing.     

Optimization and design of an aircraft's morphing wing-tip demonstrator for drag reduction at low speeds,Part Ⅱ-Experimental validation using Infra-Red transition measurement from Wind Tunnel tests

In the present paper, an ‘in-house' genetic algorithm was numerically and experimentally validated. The genetic algorithm was applied to an optimization problem for improving the aerodynamic performances of an aircraft wing tip through upper surface morphing. The optimization was performed for 16 flight cases expressed in terms of various combinations of speeds, angles of attack and aileron deflections. The displacements resulted from the optimization were used during the wind tunnel tests of the wing tip demonstrator for the actuators control to change the upper surface shape of the wing. The results of the optimization of the flow behavior for the airfoil morphing upper-surface problem were validated with wind tunnel experimental transition results obtained with infra-red Thermography on the wing-tip demonstrator. The validation proved that the 2D numerical optimization using the ‘in-house' genetic algorithm was an appropriate tool in improving various aspects of a wing's aerodynamic performances.     

Aeroelastic two-level optimization for preliminary design of wing structures considering robust constraints

An aeroelastic two-level optimization methodology for preliminary design of wing struc- tures is presented, in which the parameters for structural layout and sizes are taken as design vari- ables in the first-level optimization, and robust constraints in conjunction with conventional aeroelastic constraints are considered in the second-level optimization. A low-order panel method is used for aerodynamic analysis in the first-level optimization, and a high-order panel method is employed in the second-level optimization. It is concluded that the design of the abovementioned structural parameters of a wing can be improved using the present method with high efficiency. An improvement is seen in aeroelastic performance of the wing obtained with the present method when compared to the initial wing. Since these optimized structures are obtained after consideration of aerodynamic and structural uncertainties, they are well suited to encounter these uncertainties when they occur in reality.     

Nonlinear dynamics of a flapping rotary wing: Modeling and optimal wing kinematic analysis

The analysis of the passive rotation feature of a micro Flapping Rotary Wing(FRW)applicable for Micro Air Vehicle(MAV) design is presented in this paper. The dynamics of the wing and its influence on aerodynamic performance of FRW is studied at low Reynolds number(~10~3).The FRW is modeled as a simplified system of three rigid bodies: a rotary base with two flapping wings. The multibody dynamic theory is employed to derive the motion equations for FRW. A quasi-steady aerodynamic model is utilized for the calculation of the aerodynamic forces and moments. The dynamic motion process and the effects of the kinematics of wings on the dynamic rotational equilibrium of FWR and the aerodynamic performances are studied. The results show that the passive rotation motion of the wings is a continuous dynamic process which converges into an equilibrium rotary velocity due to the interaction between aerodynamic thrust, drag force and wing inertia. This causes a unique dynamic time-lag phenomena of lift generation for FRW, unlike the normal flapping wing flight vehicle driven by its own motor to actively rotate its wings. The analysis also shows that in order to acquire a high positive lift generation with high power efficiency and small dynamic time-lag, a relative high mid-up stroke angle within 7–15° and low mid-down stroke angle within -40° to -35° are necessary. The results provide a quantified guidance for design option of FRW together with the optimal kinematics of motion according to flight performance requirement.     

Static aeroelastic analysis of very flexible wings based on non-planar vortex lattice method

A rapid and efficient method for static aeroelastic analysis of a flexible slender wing when considering the structural geometric nonlinearity has been developed in this paper. A non-planar vortex lattice method herein is used to compute the non-planar aerodynamics of flexible wings with large deformation. The finite element method is introduced for structural nonlinear statics analysis. The surface spline method is used for structure/aerodynamics coupling. The static aeroelastic characteristics of the wind tunnel model of a flexible wing are studied by the nonlinear method presented, and the nonlinear method is also evaluated by comparing the results with those obtained from two other methods and the wind tunnel test. The results indicate that the traditional linear method of static aeroelastic analysis is not applicable for cases with large deformation because it produces results that are not realistic. However, the nonlinear methodology, which involves combining the structure finite element method with the non-planar vortex lattice method, could be used to solve the aeroelastic deformation with considerable accuracy, which is in fair agreement with the test results. Moreover, the nonlinear finite element method could consider complex structures. The non-planar vortex lattice method has advantages in both the computational accuracy and efficiency. Consequently, the nonlinear method presented is suitable for the rapid and efficient analysis requirements of engineering practice. It could be used in the preliminary stage and also in the detailed stage of aircraft design.     

一种新的气动弹性鲁棒稳定性分析方法(英文)

Air vehicles undergo variations in structural mass and stiffness because of fuel consumption and the failure of structural components, which might lead to serious influences on the aeroelastic characteristics. An approach for aeroelastic robust stability analysis taking into account the perturbations of structural mass and stiffness is developed. Applying the perturbation method and harmonic unsteady aerodynamic forces, the frequency-domain linear fractal transformation （LFT） representation of perturbed aeroelastic system is modeled. Then, the robust stability is analyzed by using the structured singular value ,u-method. The numerical results of a bi-spar wing show its effectiveness and low computational time in dealing with the robust problems with mass and stiffness perturbations. In engineering analysis for solving aeroelastic problems, the robust approach can be applied to flutter analysis for airplane with the fuel load variation and taking the damage conditions into consideration.     

压电驱动器的气动弹性应用

 随着压电智能材料与结构的发展,压电驱动器在气动弹性控制领域占据重要地位。使用压电驱动器控制翼面变形,利用而不是抵抗气动弹性效应可以控制升力、力矩以及它们的分布。采用基本相同的智能结构翼面控制系统,根据不同的控制目标需求,使用压电智能材料驱动器可以达到多种目的,包括静态的形状控制与动态的颤振抑制、抖振控制与阵风响应控制。静态控制方面例如改变翼面形状获得附加空气动力以增加升力、提供横滚力矩、改变升力分布以减小诱导阻力或减小翼根弯矩等;动态控制例如利用改变翼面形状产生的附加空气动力作为控制载荷,改变气动弹性系统的耦合程度,根据控制效果要求可作为气动阻尼、气动刚度或气动质量。这种控制方法可以减轻结构重量,提高操纵效率,扩大飞行包线,提高材料利用率,已成为可变形飞行器的重要研究内容。本文主要阐述压电驱动器气动弹性应用的动机与机理、发展与成就以及问题与展望。     

高精度的机翼静气动弹性数值模拟方法研究

气动结构耦合是研究静气动弹性问题的关键所在。采用三维Euler方程为控制方程,以有限元方法计算结构弹性变形,用细平板样条法(TPS)实现气动结构数据间的转换,进行机翼静气动弹性数值的模拟。算例结果表明,本方法是一种具有很高计算精度和工程实用性的气动弹性模拟方法。     

变体翼梢小翼的减阻机理数值模拟

总结了对翼梢小翼减阻效果影响最大的几何参数,在此基础上采用数值模拟方法研究了这些几何参数的最佳变化范围,为变体翼梢小翼设计提供理论依据.并从气动性能、气动载荷分布和翼尖涡的角度探讨了变体翼梢小翼相对传统翼梢小翼的优缺点.结果表明:在飞机的起飞阶段,变体翼梢小翼的减阻效率比传统翼梢小翼高2.2%,同时将翼尖涡强度降低了15%,有利于提高飞机的燃油效率和机场空域安全;但也会增大机翼的翼根弯矩,因此必须权衡变体翼梢小翼带来的气动收益与结构强度不利因素.     

柔性翼微型飞行器水平阵风响应特性实验研究

设计研制了一种飞翼布局的柔性翼和刚性翼微型飞行器,并在风洞中研究了两种微型飞行器在定常风和水平阵风作用下的气动特性,给出了柔性翼和刚性翼微型飞行器气动特性的差别。研究结果表明：不论是在定常风情况下,还是在水平阵风环境下,柔性翼的气动特性要优于刚性翼结构,柔性翼具有延迟失速和缓和阵风影响的能力,有利于稳定飞行。PIV测量结果表明：由于柔性翼的变形使刚性翼和柔性翼翼面上的流态不同,从而使微型飞行器的气动特性发生改变。     

翼梢装置对某机翼气动弹性行为影响研究

以大客某方案机翼为基本翼,通过数值模拟的方法研究了翼梢装置对机翼气动弹性特性影响,包括静气动弹性及颤振特性。其中通过CFD/CSD弱耦合求解的方法研究其静气动弹性响应,气动力计算采用面元法,结构响应计算采用结构有限元法,通过插值实现翼面气动力与有限元节点力之间的传递,以及有限元模型与气动网格之间的变形传递。对基本翼及带翼梢装置机翼静力学有限元模型局部修改得到动力学模型,应用MSC NASTRAN进行颤振特性分析。研究发现翼梢装置使得机翼的气动弹性特性不同程度均有降低,而不同翼梢装置对其影响又有所不同,可见,翼梢装置的设计在追求气动特性改善的同时必须关注其带来的结构特性的损失。     

压电纤维复合材料驱动的机翼动态形状控制

利用压电材料实现柔性机翼的主动形状控制,能够有效提高机翼结构效率和气动性能;要实现连续、光滑的高精确形状控制效果,机翼变形过程必须满足一定的动态要求。本文利用在上下翼面反对称铺设的新型压电纤维复合材料——宏纤维复合材料(MFC)提供驱动力矩,研究了机翼扭转变形的前馈轨迹跟踪控制。首先建立了机翼结构有限元模型和气动力载荷模型,采用载荷比拟法得到MFC作动器的控制载荷向量,给出了气动弹性控制方程及其状态空间表达形式。为跟踪预设的变形参考轨迹,以跟踪误差的时域积分为目标函数,对MFC作动器的电压加载历程进行了优化设计。结果表明,采用规划后的电压加载历程,机翼气动弹性响应很好地跟踪了预期参考轨迹,实现了连续、光滑的动态形状控制效果,提高了控制精度。