Numerical and experimental transition results evaluation for a morphing wing and aileron system (original) (raw)

2018, The Aeronautical Journal

ABSTRACTA new wing-tip concept with morphing upper surface and interchangeable conventional and morphing ailerons was designed, manufactured, bench and wind-tunnel tested. The development of this wing-tip model was performed in the frame of an international CRIAQ project, and the purpose was to demonstrate the wing upper surface and aileron morphing capabilities in improving the wing-tip aerodynamic performances. During numerical optimisation with ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm software, and during wind-tunnel experimental tests, it was demonstrated that the air-flow laminarity over the wing skin was promoted, and the laminar flow was extended with up to 9% of the chord. Drag coefficient reduction of up to 9% was obtained when the morphing aileron was introduced.

Optimization and design of a morphing wing tip aircraft demonstrator for drag reduction at low speeds , Part Π – Experimental validation using infra-red transition measurements during wind tunnel tests

2017

In the present paper, an ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm was numerically and experimentally validated. The genetic algorithm was applied to an optimization problem for improving the aerodynamic performances of an aircraft wing tip through upper surface morphing. The optimization was performed for 16 flight cases expressed in terms of various combinations of speeds, angles of attack and aileron deflections. The displacements resulted from the optimization were used during the wind tunnel tests of the wing tip demonstrator for the actuators control to change the upper surface shape of the wing. The results of the optimization of the flow behavior for the airfoil morphing upper-surface problem were validated with wind tunnel experimental transition results obtained with infra-red Thermography on the wing-tip demonstrator. The validation proved that the 2D numerical optimization using the ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm was an appropriate tool in improving various aspects of a wing’s aerodyna...

Experimental wind tunnel testing of a new multidisciplinary morphing wing model

2016

The paper presents the development of an experimental morphing wing model and its performance evaluation by using some wind tunnel tests. The model was designed, fabricated and tested during a multidisciplinary collaborative research project involving industrial partners, research entities and academia from Canada and Italy. It was based on the dimensions of a full scale wing tip structure, being equipped with a morphable flexible upper surface made from composite materials and deformed by using four miniature electrical actuators, with an array of 32 Kulite pressure sensors to monitor the air flow behavior over the upper surface, and with an aileron also electrical actuated. In the paper are successively exposed: 1) a short project presentation; 2) the skin shape optimization; 3) the instrumentation of the morphing wing model and the mechanisms used to control it; 4) the wind tunnel aerodynamic results analysis by using an infrared camera. Key-Words: Morphing wing, Numerical optimi...

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