DESIGN OF A COMPLIANT AEROFOIL USING TOPOLOGY OPTIMISATION

A method of distributing a limited amount of material in a frame type structure with the objective of creating a compliant morphing aerofoil is presented. The approach applies the Method of Moving Asymptotes (MMA) optimisation algorithm to an initial ground structure. By tailoring the cross sectional properties of the frame members the surface displacement of the structure when subjected to applied actuator and aerodynamic loading is controlled. A multi-criteria objective function is formulated that provides control of the surface form of the structure without instilling predefined nodal displacements together with addressing the conflicting issues of adequate stiffness and flexibility. Local failure conditions are incorporated into the algorithm in the form of maximum, minimum and buckling stress constraints.