Antonio Concilio

A Novel SMA-based Concept for Airfoil Structural Morphing

The adaptive structures concept is of great interest in the aerospace field because of the several benefits which can be accomplished in the fields including noise reduction, load alleviation, weight reduction, etc., at a level in which they can be considered as compulsory in the design of future aircraft. Improvements in terms of the aerodynamic efficiency, aeroelastic behavior, stability, and manoeuvrability performance have already been proved through many international studies in the past. In the family of the Smart Materials, Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) seem to be a suitable solution for many static applications. Their high structural integrability in conjunction with actuation capabilities and a favorable performance per weight ratio, allows the development of original architectures. In this study, a morphing wing trailing edge concept is presented; morphing ability was introduced with the aim of replacing a conventional flap device. A compliant rib structure was designed, based on SMA actuators exhibiting structural potential (bearing external aerodynamic loads). Numerical results, achieved through a FE approach, are presented in terms of trailing edge induced displacement and morphed shape.

Airfoil Structural Morphing Based on S.M.A. Actuator Series: Numerical and Experimental Studies

Multiple flight regimes during typical aircraft missions mean that a single unique optimized configuration, that maximizes aerodynamic efficiency and maneuverability, cannot be defined. Discrete components such as ailerons and flaps provide some adaptability, although they are far from optimal. Wing morphing can significantly improve the performance of future aircraft, by adapting the wing shape to the specific flight regime requirements, but also represents a challenging problem: the structure has to be stiff to maintain its shape under loads, and yet be flexible to deform without collapse. One solution is to adopt structural elements made of smart materials; Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) have demonstrated their suitability for many static applications due to their high structural integration potential and remarkable actuation capabilities. In this work, the airfoil camber at the wing trailing edge on a full scale wing of a civil regional transportation aircraft is controlled by substituting a traditional split flap with a hingeless, smooth morphed flap. Firstly, the development and testing of an actuator device based on a SMA ribbon, capable of a net rotation of 5 deg, is presented. Then, a flap bay is designed and experimentally tested in presence of static loads, based on a compliant rib built as a series repetition of the proposed actuator. An aero-thermo-mechanical simulation within a FE approach was adopted to estimate the behavior and performance of the compliant rib, integrating both aerodynamic loads, by means of a Vortex Lattice Method (VLM) code, and SMA phenomenology, implementing Liang and Rogers’ constitutive model. The prototype showed good actuation performance even in presence of external loads. Very good numerical-experimental correlation is found for the unloaded case, while some fatigue issues emerged in presence of static loads.

Wing Shape Control through an SMA-Based Device:

Based on numerical and experimental analyses, this article proposes an application of the smart structure concept aimed at realizing a bump on an airfoil profile, finalized to reduce transonic drag, through the use of shape memory alloys (SMAs). The ability of morphing the wing profile is functional to maximize the aerodynamic efficiency in different mission conditions. The use of the so-called smart materials allows a favorable actuation performance per weight ratio, also leading to simple and integrated devices. Currently, to model their mechanical behavior is still an open issue and this work presents some original ideas about this. Numerical results and experimental tests herein presented, demonstrate the efficacy of the developed concept device, calling for further studies on real structures; their correlation also validate the implemented simulation procedure.

Optimization and integration of shape memory alloy (SMA)-based elastic actuators within a morphing flap architecture

Aircraft morphing architectures are currently worldwide investigated to enhance performance while reducing weights, volumes and costs. A 3-flap wing, for instance, shall pay a penalty up to 100% due to the insertion of mechanical devices in its body. Moreover, the insertion of cover nacelles disturbs the wing aerodynamics itself. In addition, flapped wings are noisy: deformable, instead of slotted and flapped wings, may lead to significant enhancement also in this field. Within Joint European Initiative on Green Regional Aircraft frame, in cooperation with the University of Naples, Department of Aerospace Engineering, the authors with their colleagues came to the definition of dedicated morphing architectures. This paper focuses on the design and optimization of a morphing architecture based on Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) technology, aimed at increasing airfoil trailing edge curvature. The deformable rib system is constituted of four elastic elements. The aerodynamic loads were computed through a classical panel method for the most severe flight condition. The descriptive finite element model underwent an optimization process performed through a proprietary code, based on a genetic selection strategy. Resulting values, from the optimization study were different for the variables referring to each subsystem: plate thickness, depth and length, relative orientation, SMA ribbons thickness, depth and location. Trailing edge vertical displacement was assumed as target. The main features of the 4 elastic elements are presented in the body of the document. As expected, the more rearward is the element position, the less is the weight and size; decreasing values of the aerodynamic load led towards lighter solutions.

Estimated performance of an adaptive trailing-edge device aimed at reducing fuel consumption on a medium-size aircraft

This paper deals with the estimation of the performance of a medium-size aircraft (3-hour flight range) equipped with an adaptive trailing edge device (ATED) that runs span-wise from the wing root in the flap zone and extends chord-wise for a limited percentage of the MAC. Computations are calculated referring to the full wing and do not refer to the complete aircraft configuration. Aerodynamic computations, taking into account ideal shapes, have been performed by using both Euler and Navier- Stokes method in order to extract the wing polars for the reference and the optimal wing, implementing an ATED, deflected upwards and downwards. A comparison of the achieved results is discussed. Considering the shape domain, a suitable interpolation procedure has been set up to obtain the wing polar envelop of the adaptive wing, intended as the set of “best” values, picked by each different polar. At the end, the performances of the complete reference and adaptive wing are computed and compared for a symmetric, centered, leveled and steady cruise flight for a medium size aircraft. A significant fuel burn reduction estimate or, alternatively, an increased range capability is demonstrated, with margins of further improvements. The research leading to these results has gratefully received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007- 2013) under Grant Agreement n° 284562.

Safety and Reliability Aspects of an Adaptive Trailing Edge Device (ATED)

In morphing structures, actuation is a key system for general aircraft-level functions. Similarly to the demonstration of safety compliance applied to aircraft control surfaces, novel functions resulting from the integration of a morphing device (ATED), imposes a detailed examination of the associated risks. Because of the concept novelty, literature references for a safe design of a morphing trailing edge device are hard to be found. The safety-driven design of ATED requires a thorough examination of the potential hazards resulting from operational faults involving either the actuation chain, such as jamming, or the external interfaces, such as loss of power supplies and control lanes. In this work, a study of ATED functions is qualitatively performed at both subsystem and aircraft levels to identify potential design faults, maintenance and crew faults, as well as external environment risks. The severity of the hazard effects is determined and placed in specific classes, indicative of the maximum tolerable probability of occurrence for a specific event, resulting in safety design objectives. A fault tree is finally produced to evaluate the impact of actuation kinematics on specific aspects of ATED morphing operation and reliability.

Airfoil Morphing Architecture Based on Shape Memory Alloys

The adaptive structures concept is of great interest in the aeronautical field because of the several benefits which can be accomplished in the design of future aircraft. Improvements in terms of aerodynamic efficiency, aero-elastic behaviour and manoeuvrability were proved by many international studies. The development of new structural architectures implementing and integrating innovative materials is mandatory for succeeding in these critical tasks. The so-called Smart Structure idea is more and more taken into account in aerospace applications Among the family of Smart Materials, Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) certainly represents a convenient solution for many static applications. In this work, an application for a morphing wing trailing edge is presented as alternative for conventional flap devices. A compliant rib structure has been designed, based on SMA components working both as actuators, controlling wing chamber, and as structural elements, sustaining external aerodynamic loads. Achievable performance has been estimated by a FE approach; SMA behaviour has been modelled through a dedicated routine implementing the Liang & Rogers’ model for evaluating the internal stress and the minimum temperature necessary for activation. The numerical results have been presented in terms of induced displacements and morphed shape.Copyright

Active shape airfoil control through composite-piezoceramic actuators

The transonic aerodynamic field around a wing section is characterized by a large number of peculiarities, which strongly influence the airfoil performance. In particular, a shock wave located on the wing upper surface strongly interacts with the boundary layer, causing a drag increase. Moreover, wave oscillations may give rise to the undesired aeroelastic phenomenon of buffeting. Aerodynamic studies have pointed out that shape airfoil modifications may lead to performance improvements. The aim of the work is to present a procedure to design and realize a tailored and integrated composite actuator made of an aluminium alloy sheet. The geometry of the skin element is modified by the combined action of a uniform pressure load producing static deformations, and tangential piezoelectric ceramic patches bonded through a laminate connection layer, towards one direction, preferably. Glass fiber/epoxy was selected to this target. The design procedure is made of a first part, devoted at the definition of the sheet thickness law (taking into account the ceramics contributions) that assures the deformed shape following the specific aerodynamic requirements, and a second part, applied to optimize the structure-actuators configuration. Analytical and numerical extensions of available models, able to predict the strain actuation on composite elements with variable thickness under different boundary conditions complete the proposed methodology. According to the obtained results and indications, an experimental bump prototype was realized. An experimental campaign is being carried out in order to compare the real behavior of the skin element with the theoretical predictions: static and dynamic bump deflected shape was measured.

KRISTINA: Kinematic rib-based structural system for innovative adaptive trailing edge

Nature teaches that the flight of the birds succeeds perfectly since they are able to change the shape of their wings in a continuous manner. The careful observation of this phenomenon has re-introduced in the recent research topics the study of “metamorphic” wing structures; these innovative architectures allow for the controlled wing shape adaptation to different flight conditions with the ultimate goal of getting desirable improvements such as the increase of aerodynamic efficiency or load control effectiveness. In this framework, the European research project SARISTU aimed at combining morphing and smart ideas to the leading edge, the trailing edge and the winglet of a large commercial airplane (EASA CS25 category) while assessing integrated technologies validation through high-speed wind tunnel test on a true scale outer wing segment. The design process of the adaptive trailing edge (ATED) addressed by SARISTU is here outlined, from the conceptual definition of the camber-morphing architecture up to the assessment of the device executive layout. Rational design criteria were implemented in order to preliminarily define ATED structural layout and the general configuration of the embedded mechanisms enabling morphing under the action of aerodynamic loads. Advanced FE analyses were then carried out and the robustness of adopted structural arrangements was proven in compliance with applicable airworthiness requirements.

An adaptive control system for wing TE shape control

A key technology to enable morphing aircraft for enhanced aerodynamic performance is the design of an adaptive control system able to emulate target structural shapes. This paper presents an approach to control the shape of a morphing wing by employing internal, integrated actuators acting on the trailing edge. The adaptive-wing concept employs active ribs, driven by servo actuators, controlled in turn by a dedicated algorithm aimed at shaping the wing cross section, according to a pre-defined geometry. The morphing control platform is presented and a suitable control algorithm is implemented in a dedicated routine for real-time simulations. The work is organized as follows. A finite element model of the uncontrolled, non-actuated structure is used to obtain the plant model for actuator torque and displacement control. After having characterized and simulated pure rotary actuator behavior over the structure, selected target wing shapes corresponding to rigid trailing edge rotations are achieved through both open-loop and closed-loop control logics.