A review of modelling and analysis of morphing wings

Morphing wings have a large potential to improve the overall aircraft performances, in a way like natural flyers do. By adapting or optimising dynamically the shape to various flight conditions, there are yet many unexplored opportunities beyond current proof-of-concept demonstrations. This review discusses the most prominent examples of morphing concepts with applications to two and three-dimensional wing models. Methods and tools commonly deployed for the design and analysis of these concepts are discussed, ranging from structural to aerodynamic analyses, and from control to optimisation aspects. Throughout the review process, it became apparent that the adoption of morphing concepts for routine use on aerial vehicles is still scarce, and some reasons holding back their integration for industrial use are given. Finally, promising concepts for future use are identified

Optimierung Design und Test einer hoch verformbaren adaptiven Flügelvorderkante

Im Rahmen des Sonderforschungsbereiches 880 wird ein auf den Coandă-Effekt basierendes Hochauftriebssystem eines Regionalflugzeuges hinsichtlich der Kombination mit einer spaltlosen, formvariablen Vorderkante mit hohem Verformungspotential untersucht. Strukturelle Anforderungen an die Flügelvorderkante und Ziele werden zusammen mit dem Stand der Technik diskutiert. Eine Optimierungsumgebung sowohl für die flexible, hybride Haut (Faserverbund-Polymer), als auch für die innere Kinematik und deren Hautanbindung wird vorgestellt und in Bezug auf die Anforderungen ausgewertet. Abschließend folgt die Validierung der Methodik anhand von Strukturtests an einem Full-Scale Funktionsdemonstrator

A Process Chain for Structural Optimization of a Smart Droop Nose for an Active Blown High Lift System

A detailed analysis of today’s commercial aircrafts determines an increased demand for high lift systems that cannot be provided by prevailing evolutionary technology development. This especially applies to the topics of noise reduction and performance increase for start and landing. An active blown Coandă-flap based high lift system, which is investigated within the German national Collaborative Research Centre 880, would be an alternative to today’s slats and flaps and promises to contribute to those goals. An adaptive gapless droop nose with an exceedingly high grade of leading edge morphing is proven to be a key part of such a system, and thus a structural optimization framework for this technology is developed by the DLR. The content of this paper is formed by the detailed presentation of the framework for optimization of a composite skin combined with an actuation kinematics

Optimization, design and structural testing of a high deformable morphing leading edge of an active blown high lift system

The future generation of high lift devices hast to play a part in reducing the noise footprint and increasing the performance for start and landing of transport aircrafts. To contribute to these goals, an active blown Coandă-flap based high lift system is investigated within the German national Collaborative Research Centre 880 as an alternative to the state of the art slats and flaps. A key part of this system is an adaptive gapless droop nose with an exceedingly high grade of leading edge morphing. The design and construction of this component is based on a structural optimization framework, developed at German Aerospace Center (DLR). The framework consists of two hierarchical design steps, an optimization of the hybrid composite skin layout with integral T-stringers, acting as joints to the inner actuation mechanism and the kinematic optimization of the latter. This paper describes a full scale hybrid composite morphing droop nose and its structural tests. The results of these tests will finally be compared with the results of the finite element simulation and applied for the validation of the optimization framework