Design of a morphing airfoil

Abstract

In this continued study, macro fibre composite actuators are used to change the upper and lower surfaces of the air-foil model with a geometry closely resembling NACA0014. These thin and light piezoelectric actuators are bonded to the inside skin of the upper and lower surfaces and become an integral part of it. In order to assess its characteristics of the static and dynamic changes of the airfoil, it is tested in still air and wind tunnel measurements in flow regimes of Reynolds number 150,000. The results obtained can be used to design a wing with morphing surfaces for improving its aerodynamics, for manoeuvring without ailerons, and/or for active control of the flow over the wing.

This model is a complete development of the previously studied model and takes into account the scope for improvement from past models. This report also presents CFD (Computational Fluid Analysis) results on specific models taken at specific flow condition to check if the results match with the wind tunnel measurements.

The overall results obtained from wind tunnel testing with the flow field simulated from CFD analysis indicate a significant increase in lift and drag characteristics with the implementation of morphing techniques, without any unnecessary vibrations.