Design, Manufacture and Wind Tunnel Test of a Modular FishBAC Wing with Novel 3D Printed Skins
Source abstract
Abstract
This paper introduces a new modular Fish Bone Active Camber morphing wing with novel 3D printed skin panels. These skin panels are printed using two different Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) formulations: a soft, high strain formulation for the deformable membrane of the skin, reinforced with a stiffer formulation for the stringers and mounting tabs. Additionally, this is the first FishBAC device designed to be modular in its installation and actuation. Therefore, all components can be removed and replaced for maintenance purposes without having to remove or disassemble other parts. A 1 m span, 0.27 m chord morphing wing with a 25% chord FishBAC was built and tested mechanically and in a low-speed wind tunnel. Results show that the new design is capable of achieving the same large changes in airfoil lift coefficient (approximate ΔCL≈0.55) with a low drag penalty seen in previous FishBAC work, but with a much simpler, practical and modular design. Additionally, the device shows a change in the pitching moment coefficient of ΔCM≈0.1, which shows the potential that the FishBAC has as a control surface.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Aeroelasticity and Vibration Control · Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms · Structural Analysis and Optimization
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Deparment of Aerospace Engineering, Bristol Composites Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
Funding
European Union
References (33)
Show source-provided references
1. Morphing skins10.1017/S0001924000002062 ↗
2. A Review of Morphing Aircraft10.1177/1045389X11414084 ↗
3. The development and design integration of a variable camber wing for long/medium range aircraft10.1017/S0001924000023186 ↗
4. Impact of morphing trailing edges on mission performance for the common research model10.2514/1.C034967 ↗
5. Bilgen, O., Friswell, M.I., Kochersberger, K.B., and Inman, D.J. (2011, January 4–7). Surface Actuated Variable-Camber and Variable-Twist Morphing Wings Using Piezocomposites. Proceedings of the 52nd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference, Denver, CO, USA.10.2514/6.2011-2072 ↗
6. Design and application of compliant mechanisms for morphing aircraft structures10.1117/12.483869 ↗
7. Shape morphing of aircraft wing: Status and challenges10.1016/j.matdes.2009.09.011 ↗
8. A novel SMA-based concept for airfoil structural morphing10.1007/s11665-009-9356-3 ↗
9. Concepts for morphing airfoil sections using bi-stable laminated composite structures10.1016/j.tws.2007.11.002 ↗
10. Bistable Composite Flap for an Airfoil10.2514/1.45389 ↗
11. Rivas-Padilla, J., Arrieta, A.F., and Boston, D.M. (2019, January 7–11). Design of selectively compliant morphing structures with shape-induced bi-stable elements. Proceedings of the AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, San Diego, CA, USA.10.2514/6.2019-0855 ↗
12. Aero-Structural Optimization of Morphing Airfoils for Adaptive Wings10.1177/1045389X11414089 ↗
13. Multidisciplinary design and optimization of active trailing edge for smart helicopter rotor blade10.1080/15376490801907830 ↗
14. Design and experimental characterisation of a morphing wing with enhanced corrugated skin
15. Development of a new adaptive shape morphing compliant structure with embedded actuators10.1177/1045389X15590270 ↗
16. Evaluation of a Compliant Droop-Nose Morphing Wing Tip via Experimental Tests10.2514/1.C033909 ↗
17. De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., and Riccobene, L. (2014, January 6–8). Design, Manufacturing and Wind Tunnel Validation of an Active Camber Morphing Wing Based on Compliant Structures. Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technologies (ICAST 2014), The Hague, The Netherlands.
18. Werter, N.P., Sodja, J., Spirlet, G., and De Breuker, R. (2016, January 4–8). Design and experiments of a warp induced camber and twist morphing leading and trailing edge device. Proceedings of the 24th AIAA/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, San Diego, CA, USA.10.2514/6.2016-0315 ↗
19. Woods, B.K.S., and Friswell, M.I. (2012, January 19–21). Preliminary Investigation of a Fishbone Active Camber Concept. Proceedings of the ASME Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems, Stone Mountain, GA, USA.10.1115/SMASIS2012-8058 ↗
20. Woods, B.K.S., and Friswell, M.I. (2013, January 8–11). Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of the Fish Bone Active Camber Mechanism. Proceedings of the 54th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Boston, MA, USA.10.2514/6.2013-1908 ↗
21. Woods, B.K.S., and Friswell, M.I. (2014, January 13–17). Structural Characterization of the Fish Bone Active Camber Morphing Airfoil. Proceedings of the 22nd AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, National Harbor, MD, USA.10.2514/6.2014-1122 ↗
22. Wind tunnel testing of the fish bone active camber morphing concept10.1177/1045389X14521700 ↗
23. Rivero, A.E., Fournier, S., Weaver, P.M., Cooper, J.E., and Woods, B.K.S. (October, January 30). Manufacturing and characterisation of a composite FishBAC morphing wind tunnel model. Proceedings of the ICAST 2018: 29th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technologies, Seoul, Korea.
24. Experimental Aerodynamic Comparison of Active Camber Morphing and Trailing-Edge Flaps10.2514/1.J059606 ↗
25. (2021, October 03). Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency. Available online: https://sabreproject.eu/{#}the-project.
26. Parametric structural modelling of fish bone active camber morphing aerofoils10.1177/1045389X18758182 ↗
27. Structural Modeling of Compliance-Based Camber Morphing Structures Under Transverse Shear Loading10.2514/1.J058842 ↗
28. D3039 (2014). Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials. ASTM Int., 08, 1–13.
29. D3518 (2007). Standard Test Method for In-Plane Shear Response of Polymer Matrix Composite Materials by Tensile Test. ASTM Int., 94, 1–7.
30. D638 (2013). Standard test method for tensile properties of plastics. ASTM Int., 1–16.
31. Modelling manufacturing deformations in corner sections made of composite materials10.1177/0021998313477896 ↗
32. Rauleder, J., van der Wall, B.G., Abdelmoula, A., Komp, D., Kumar, S., Ondra, V., Titurus, B., and Woods, B.K.S. (2018, January 14–17). Aerodynamic Performance of Morphing Blades and Rotor Systems. Proceedings of the 74th Annual American Helicopter Society International Forum and Technology Display 2018 (FORUM 74): The Future of Vertical Flight, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
33. Barlow, J., Rae, W., and Pope, A. (1999). Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Testing, Wiley. [3rd ed.].