Design and feasibility analyses of morphing airfoil used to control flight attitude

Abstract

Morphing technology, inspired by bat and bird flight can enable an aircraft to adapt its shape to enhance mission performance and optimize flight attitude controlling efficiency. A morphing airfoil concept is proposed to replace the traditional flap, ailerons, elevator and rudders in order to improve aerodynamic efficiency in this paper. A procedure is used to virtually simulate a morphing wing to perform fast, relatively accurately and efficiently. A set of optimal airfoil shapes obtained are aimed at minimizing the aerodynamic drag character by optimizing morphing configurations at different C l under the twodimensional steady-flow simulation. These airfoil shapes are used to maneuver flight attitude, minimize drag and take place of traditional control surfaces of different rolling, yawing and pitching moment. Then, the basic relationships between optimized morphing airfoil and the traditional control element on rolling, pitching and yawing moment are simplified to the relationship of C l. The morphing airfoil shapes at different C l are represented. The configuration of traditional airfoil and morphing airfoil at different C l are compared. It is proved that morphing wing can be used to take the place of a traditional wing. © 2011 Journal of Mechanical Engineering. All rights reserved.