Morphing Aircraft Structures: Design and Testing an Experimental UAV

12/14/2007

This thesis presents the design, build and test of a morphing structure, with the objective of reducing the wing?s drag. The results of a computational assessment of the morphing concept benefits are shown. Drag reductions from 5% to nearly 40% at different flight speeds serve as motivation for designing, building and testing a prototype of the wing Design requirements of the morphing mechanism structure are pointed out and manufacturing solutions are discussed. The main objective of this work is to prove the feasibility and functionality of the morphing mechanism solutions. The whole fabrication process of the wing is described. The difficulties found during the manufacturing process are presented. Consequently the solutions to mitigate those difficulties are discussed and the one thought to be the best is pointed. The final wing is shown and described. The adaptations made during the manufacturing are explained. As a result, not all the requirements are fulfilled, but the requirements dropped were thought not to have a crucial influence in the aerodynamic performance. The use of a flexible skin for the morphing wing is described. Skin stretch and rigidity influence on the wing?s aerodynamics is studied qualitatively. Three different types of skins, were tested and compared; the best solution was used in the tests. Wind tunnel test results are shown and are submitted to analysis. Different wing planform tests performed with the morphing wing are described and drag reduction is quantified for different airspeeds. Finally the conclusions are taken and improvements are suggested.

Authors in the community:

• 

  P

  Pedro Manuel Magalhães da Costa Aleixo

  ist148989

Supervisors of this institution:

• 

  A

  Afzal Suleman

  ist13672

• 

  F

  Fernando José Parracho Lau

  ist13198

eng - English

Instituto Superior Técnico