Drag optimisation of a wing equipped with a morphing upper surface

The drag coefficient and the laminar-to-turbulent transition for the aerofoil component of a wing model are optimised using an adaptive upper surface with two actuation points. The effects of the new shaped aerofoils on the global drag coefficient of the wing model are also studied. The aerofoil was optimised with an ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm program coupled with a cubic spline aerofoil shape reconstruction and XFoil 6.96 open-source aerodynamic solver. The wing model analysis was performed with the open-source solver XFLR5 and the 3D Panel Method was used for the aerodynamic calculation. The results of the aerofoil optimisation indicate improvements of both the drag coefficient and transition delay of 2% to 4%. These improvements in the aerofoil characteristics affect the global drag of the wing model, reducing it by up to 2%. The analyses were conducted for a single Reynolds number and speed over a range of angles of attack. The same cases will also be used in the experimental testing of the manufactured morphing wing model.

[1]  Teodor Lucian Grigorie,et al.  A Morphing Wing used Shape Memory Alloy Actuators New Control Technique with Bi-positional and PI Laws Optimum Combination - Part 2: Experimental Validation , 2010, ICINCO.

[2]  Nikos J Mourtos,et al.  Educating students to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global / societal context , 2005 .

[3]  Kalyanmoy Deb,et al.  Simulated Binary Crossover for Continuous Search Space , 1995, Complex Syst..

[4]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Transition Point Detection from the Surface Pressure Distribution for Controller Design , 2008 .

[5]  Antonio Concilio,et al.  Design and Functional Test of a Morphing High-Lift Device for a Regional Aircraft , 2011 .

[6]  Afzal Suleman,et al.  Design and Analysis of an Adaptive Wingtip , 2011 .

[7]  I. H. Abbott,et al.  Theory of Wing Sections , 1959 .

[8]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system-based controllers for smart material actuator modelling , 2009 .

[9]  Brian Maskew,et al.  Program VSAERO theory document: A computer program for calculating nonlinear aerodynamic characteristics of arbitrary configurations , 1987 .

[10]  Teodor Lucian Grigorie,et al.  A Morphing Wing used Shape Memory Alloy Actuators New Control Technique with Bi-positional and PI Laws Optimum Combination - Part 1: Design Phase , 2010, ICINCO.

[11]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Real Time Morphing Wing Optimization Validation Using Wind-Tunnel Tests , 2010 .

[12]  Liu Shili,et al.  Optimal Design of Compliant Trailing Edge for Shape Changing , 2008 .

[13]  Francisco Herrera,et al.  Tackling Real-Coded Genetic Algorithms: Operators and Tools for Behavioural Analysis , 1998, Artificial Intelligence Review.

[14]  Mark Drela,et al.  Implicit Implementation of the Full e^n Transition Criterion , 2003 .

[15]  Teodor Lucian Grigorie,et al.  On–off and proportional–integral controller for a morphing wing. Part 1: Actuation mechanism and control design , 2012 .

[16]  Les A. Piegl,et al.  The NURBS Book , 1995, Monographs in Visual Communication.

[17]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Unmanned aerial system hydra technologies éhecatl wing optimization using a morphing approach , 2013 .

[18]  John E. Bussoletti,et al.  "Fundamental" Parameteric Geometry Representations for Aircraft Component Shapes , 2006 .

[19]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Closed-loop control simulations on a morphing wing , 2008 .

[20]  Darryll J. Pines,et al.  Design, development and testing of a morphing aspect ratio wing using an inflatable telescopic spar , 2003 .

[21]  Melanie Mitchell,et al.  An introduction to genetic algorithms , 1996 .

[22]  Daniel J. Inman,et al.  A Review of Morphing Aircraft , 2011 .

[23]  Oliviu Sugar Gabor,et al.  Low-speed aerodynamic characteristics improvement of ATR 42 airfoil using a morphing wing approach , 2012, IECON 2012 - 38th Annual Conference on IEEE Industrial Electronics Society.

[24]  Sergio Ricci,et al.  Estimated performance of an adaptive trailing-edge device aimed at reducing fuel consumption on a medium-size aircraft , 2013, Smart Structures.

[25]  M. Drela.  XFOIL: An Analysis and Design System for Low Reynolds Number Airfoils , 1989 .

[26]  Vladimir Brailovski,et al.  Promising Benefits of an Active-Extrados Morphing Laminar Wing , 2009 .

[27]  Afzal Suleman,et al.  Design of a Morphing Airfoil for a Light Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using High-Fidelity Aerodynamics Shape Optimization , 2005 .

[28]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Laminar flow control on a research wing - project presentation on a three years period , 2007 .

[29]  Andrei Vladimir Popov,et al.  New Aeroelastic Studies for a Morphing Wing , 2010 .

[30]  Theodore A. Talay,et al.  Introduction to the Aerodynamics of Flight. NASA SP-367 , 1975 .

[31]  Michael I. Friswell,et al.  Aerodynamic optimisation of a camber morphing aerofoil , 2015 .

[32]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Adaptive neuro-fuzzy controllers for an open-loop morphing wing system , 2009 .

[33]  J. Katz,et al.  Low-Speed Aerodynamics , 1991 .

[34]  David Coley,et al.  Introduction to Genetic Algorithms for Scientists and Engineers , 1999 .

[35]  Stephen Smith,et al.  AFTI/F-111 Mission Adaptive Wing flight research program , 1988 .

[36]  Mark Drela,et al.  Integral boundary layer formulation for blunt trailing edges , 1989 .

[37]  James C. Sivells,et al.  Method for calculating wing characteristics by lifting-line theory using nonlinear section lift data , 1947 .

[38]  Shaker A. Meguid,et al.  Shape morphing of aircraft wing: Status and challenges , 2010 .

[39]  Mary Frecker,et al.  Tendon actuated cellular mechanisms for morphing aircraft wing , 2007, SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring.

[40]  David W. Nelson,et al.  Determination of the aerodynamic characteristics of the mission adaptive wing , 1988 .

[41]  Gianluca Amendola,et al.  Validation of a smart structural concept for wing-flap camber morphing , 2014 .

[42]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Application of a Morphing Wing Technology on Hydra Technologies Unmanned Aerial System UAS-S4 , 2014 .

[43]  Ruxandra Botez,et al.  Optimization of an Unmanned Aerial System' Wing Using a Flexible Skin Morphing Wing , 2013 .

[44]  Rosario Pecora,et al.  Effectiveness of Wing Twist Morphing in Roll Control , 2012 .

[45]  J. Vale,et al.  Optimization of a Morphing Wing Based on Coupled Aerodynamic and Structural Constraints , 2007 .

[46]  Darrell Whitley,et al.  A genetic algorithm tutorial , 1994, Statistics and Computing.