SMA Actuated Mechanism for an Adaptive Wing

A preliminary study of an adaptive unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wing actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) devices is presented. The wing consists of a sandwich box substructure, flexible ribs, and a flexible laminated skin. The adaptation capability to the changing flight conditions is obtained via airfoil shape adjustments. Torsion SMA tubes are employed for wing camber control, while levers powered by SMA wires are employed for local shape control. A new architecture is proposed: the downward or upward actuation torque is provided by counterrotating concentric tubes connected through a clutch and a positioning piezoelectric motor to the flexible ribs. These actuator tubes are heated one at a time while the other is made free by the clutch in order to obtain any wanted shape without waiting for cooling. The capability of the wing to bear the aerodynamic loads, the power required by the actuators, and their force and torque are assessed by finite-element simulations. An improved version of a recently dev...

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