SYNOPSIS BASP-001 Adaptive Complaint Wing

B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering January 2009 Batch

Indian Institute for Aeronautical Engineering and Information Technology PSC of Indira Gandhi National Open University Shastri Campus S. No. 85, NDA Road, Shivane, Pune-411023 1

GUIDE

Name

Roll Number

Enrollment Number

Jay Vora

2009-AEP-S30

093574917

Aditya Sridhar

2009-AEP-S08

093574670

Varun Seth

2009-AEP-S11

093574702

Ravikant Bharti

2009-AEP-S27

093574884

Amit Pawar

2009-AEP-S32

093574931

Vishal Sharma

2009-AEP-S48

093575094

Raju Kumar Singh

2009-AEP-S52

093575141

Shivendra Verma

2009-AEP-S

Contents

1. Introduction 2. Rationale of the project 3. Objective of project 4. Detailed methodology 5. Expected contribution from the project 6. Activities to be undertaken 7. Place/Labs/Tools/Equipment 8. Problems envisaged 9. Advantages and Disadvantages 10. Cost estimation 11. Bibliography

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Introduction

A fixed wing aircraft lacks in giving an optimum efficient flight at various flight conditions. Also fixed wing configurations are not suitable for transition flights, as in the case of transitions from sub-sonic to supersonic conditions. Fuel consumption, being one of the major concerns in the present day scenario, is at its apex during such flights causing a great amount of inefficiencies.

The desire for multi-mission capability in military and civil air vehicle systems has created a need for technologies that allow for drastic wing shape changes during flight. Since most current aircraft are fixed-geometry, they represent a design compromise between conflicting mission segment performance requirements, such as high-speed cruise, low-speed loiter, and low turn radius maneuver. If a hybrid aircraft is designed to combine several flight profiles, the wing design must maximize overall efficiency of the anticipated mission. Through morphing, the aerodynamics of the aircraft can be adapted to optimize performance in each segment by changing areas such as the span and sweep of the wing-planform and the tail.

Using technologies like ADAPTIVE COMPLIANT WING allows an air vehicle to perform multiple, radically different tasks by dynamically varying its flight envelope. The wing can be adapted to different mission segments, such as cruise, loitering, and high-speed maneuvering by sweeping, and changing its span, area, and airfoil shape. Morphing wing technology is considered to be a key component in next-generation unmanned aeronautical vehicles (UAVs) for military and commercial applications.

Rationale of the project Morphing aircraft structures are flight vehicles that change their shape to effect both a change in the mission of the aircraft and to perform flight control without the use of discrete control surfaces or seams. Aircraft constructed with morphing technology promise the distinct advantages of being able to fly multiple types of missions, to perform radically new maneuvers not possible with conventional control surfaces, to be more fuel efficient, and to provide a reduced radar signature. The difference with morphing aircraft is the full integration of the shape control into the wing structure; a truly smart structure. In the limit one could envisage a flying wing with no discrete control surfaces at all. This project will take a systems view of morphing aircraft structures and will consider the structural design, airflow, structural dynamics, flight control system, aeroservoelasticity, and actuators. All these areas interact extensively, for example designing how the structure changes shape is critically dependent on the aerodynamic loads and the required flight control. While each topic is a huge area in its own right, a systems approach is the only appropriate way forward. The primary objective of this project is to produce a fully integrated model of a morphing aircraft including the aerodynamics, compliant structures and flight control. As part of these project models a morphing wing will be built. The technology developed under this project is ready for vehicles including Unmanned Air Vehicles. Better performing aerofoils offer a whole new generation of quieter, faster, and more reliable vehicles and systems. The fuel fraction of an unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance vehicle is very high, thereby necessitating its operation under varying lift coefficients. A smooth continuous surface with variable geometry control surfaces offers significant drag reduction and enhanced performance under varying flight conditions thereby extending the mission time or range of one of these vehicles. The variable camber compliant surface technology can also be applied to military transport aircraft for fuel efficiency, and

combat aircraft for enhanced roll performance and maneuverability. The technology also offers very promising applications to variable geometry engine inlets and other surfaces to improve the performance of jet engines. Application of the Compliant Wing technology to leading and trailing edges of a helicopter rotor could also have an even greater impact. Morphing aircraft wing control surfaces in response to changing flight conditions maximizes fuel efficiency (range) and flight performance (maneuverability and stability). This enables an aircraft to operate most efficiently under all flight conditions. This program proved that adaptive wing control surfaces offered significant aerodynamic superiority over conventional leading and trailing edge flaps but suffered from significant increases in weight, complexity, packaging and mechanical performance.

Objective The objective of the project is to demonstrate a working model of Adaptive Compliant Wing with basic functionality on a smaller scale, utilizing easily available off the shelf components. 1. Build the Adaptive Compliant Wing using readily available components so that the system can be built with a simple procedure and a reasonable cost. 2. The system shall be a miniature working model eliminating parts which are not critical for its functioning such as bypass valves and hydraulic accumulators to reduce the complexity and thus the resulting size and weight. 3. Actuation to be done by using and powered by minimum possible voltage which can be suitable to be operated by limited power available on-board smaller air craft or UAVs 4. Establish an optimum combination of various wing parameters for the operation of the flight in various flight regimes.

Detail methodology 1. Sweep and Span Actuation The wing sweep is controlled by two servo actuators. The actuators can generate force sufficient for varying sweep and simultaneously span, while under the designed aerodynamic loading. The sweeping motion is actually the output of a connecting rod attached to the servos. While the design is simple, the model to correlate actuator motion to sweep angle is governed by a nonlinear, transcendental equation describing the linkage motion as a function of the rotation of servos. the servos will be controlled by the R/C transmitter and receiver* pair or alternatively a servo control PCB* attached to a switch. the varying sweep angle also simultaneously varies the span as the span is measured from tip to tip of the wing. thus increasing the sweep angle would result on effective reduction of span and vice versa. This is the optimum design requirement as low speed flying requires no sweep and maximum span. whereas speed increases the span should reduce and sweep angle should increase.

*units subject to availability

Expected contribution from the project The project will provide significant contribution to the research over unconventional method for developing agile aircrafts. this makes the aircraft compatible to perform overseas mission with lesser fuel consumption, shorter take-off distances, higher load-carrying ability, and the fast, low-level penetration role, however the configuration imposes a considerable penalty in weight and complexity. 1. Aircraft that fly at high speeds would experience reduced turbulence thus creating high amount of comfort to the crew and passengers. 2. To delay shockwaves at higher velocities and considerably reduce wave-drag 3. This helps in varying the aerodynamic centre when in flight. 4. To maintain aspect ratio at higher sweep angles. 5. The fuel efficiency sky-rockets.

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Activities to be undertaken

Days
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Days

Estimated weeks for completion of the project and model: 8 weeks

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Places/Labs/Tools/Equipment The following laboratories and facilities are appreciated for the project realization. 1. Workshop for the fabrication and integration of the components. 2. Electrical and mechatronics laboratory. 3. Aerodynamics laboratory for the calculations and observations. 4. Computer laboratory for the access to the internet for data, references and simulated tests

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Problems envisaged 1. The proper integration of the system can be quite a task due to the interfacing required between components which belong to different class of products such as electrical, mechanical and hydraulic. 2. Due to the above mentioned differences there might be problems with proper mating of the components as the input/output requirements of a component might prove short of another. 3. Designing and fabrication of all the electric actuators would be a tedious task to perform. 4. Friction between the mating parts should be minimized, so as to obtain accurate operations. 5. The other major challenges include Morphing Wing technology presents is maintaining aerodynamic balance when the air craft changes its shape in mid-air during flying. When an aircraft folds its wings on the fly, rapid, large shifts occur in its centre of gravity and another balance point known as the aerodynamic centre. Such shifts, absent among conventional fixed-wing aircraft, could make the plane spin or become otherwise unmanageable.

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Advantages Even though the Morphing Wing concept is yet to take wings in a substantial way. It sure promises to be one of the most futuristic advancements in aviation. If the various research programmes goes all well the Morphing Wing Technology will be the future of the civil aviation as well as the military combat aircrafts due to its adaptability and its inherent features. If aircraft wing shapes can be designed to change and adapt to constantly changing conditions of flight. Or, an aircraft can mimic the way a bird lands, thus decreasing the runway space required. Flying high and slow, an appealing capability for reconnaissance mission, requires a wide wingspan in addition to a larger wing area, so increasing the wingspan also multiplies applications. The aircraft could cruise at high altitudes, but it could still respond supersonically or at least high subsonically to a threat, proving to be beneficial for a multirole operations. By using this technology we can one day liberate aircraft from flaps, slats, and ailerons so that they more closely emulate the astonishing adaptability and control of bird flight. Going beyond wings that merely flex, scientists and engineers have also been developing aircraft surfaces capable of moulding themselves from one shape into another, much as arm muscles bulge and flatten. These possibilities arise largely from the use of socalled smart materials, a broad range of substances that can shorten, Even on a modest scale, such reshaping of aircraft contours could greatly enhance vehicle control and performance. In a world of energy crisis and greenhouse gases and other pollution issues this concept provides a great way to cut the fuel consumption as well as thereby cutting the emissions of the aircraft during its flight which may be a more vital issue.

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Disadvantages Installation of the actuating device adds to the dead weight of the aircraft. The system would be highly a complex due to the involvement of various moving and sliding parts, electric parts etc. on the entire span of the wing and the fuselage. This high complexity would be mainly due to the actuators and their supply lines, which needs to be precisely integrated and monitored upon. The system would cause an overall increase in the parasite drag. The system will also require robust actuators for the deflection of such heavy structures during in-flight operations, which would be difficult to construct. To move the surfaces during in-flight operations would be tedious due to the high inertia in the same. Displacement of heavy external surfaces can induce undesirable vibrations in the structure. The flow aft the wing is disturbed at the instance of change.

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Cost Estimation 1. Dapron sheets- 1000 2. Wooden ply- 500 3. Servo motor- 1000 4. Servo Motor Control (SMC) - 1500 5. Fabrication Charges - 1000 6. Other miscellaneous charges - 1500 7. Documentation - 1000 Estimated cost for completion of this project and model is 8500/-

*all figures mentioned are in INR

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Bibliography Design, Development, and Analysis of a Morphing Aircraft Model for Wind Tunnel Experimentation -David A. Neal III, Harry Robertshaw, William Mason, Craig Woolsey Morphing Aircraft Technology New Shapes for Aircraft Design -Terrence A. Weisshaar Morphing Wing Fighter Aircraft Synthesis/Design Optimization -Kenneth Wayne Smith Jr. Aircraft Hydraulic Systems -William.A.Neese High Speed Flight - www.flightlearnings.com/2009/08/30/high-speed-flight-sweptback/ Wing Morphing Technologies www.wikipedia.org/wing morphing technology

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