Single Degree-of-Freedom Morphing Wing (Design and Synthesis)

Recent research in morphing wing technology has focused on complex multiple-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) mechanisms and smart structures to provide a specified shape change; single degree-of-freedom actuation concepts have generally been ignored or overlooked. In this research, the authors propose a novel design for a single degree-of-freedom (SDOF) mechanism for mission morphing of aircraft wings. A general design methodology has been developed, and this has been applied to a Hyper-Elliptic Cambered Span (HECS) wing developed by engineers at NASA Langley Research Center. The design tools developed include a synthesis procedure for determining the dimensions of the single-degree-of-freedom morphing mechanism, and a sensitivity analysis to determine the effects of manufacturing errors.Copyright © 2004 by ASME