Abstract

Finite Elements Methods Utilization in Morphing Wing Tip Technologies 

The international project called “MORPHING ARCHITECTURES AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES FOR WING EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT” was realized by Canadian and Italian partners. This project was realized by academic partners at ETS and Ecole Polytechnique in collaboration with the Aerospace companies Bombardier, Thales, Alenia and with the research institutes IAR-NRC and CIRA. More than thirty undergraduate and graduate students have worked on this project. A wing tip demonstrator of an existing airplane, that consisted of a wing and an aileron changed its shape, has morphed using four electrical actuators in order to improve its aerodynamic performances. Sensors were installed on the morphing wing tip with the aim to measure the pressures. The numerical analysis results were validated with experimental data obtained The flutter analysis of two finite element models will be presented; the first model corresponds to a traditional aluminum upper surface skin of constant thickness, while the second model corresponds to a composite optimized upper surface skin for morphing capabilities. The structural analysis was coupled with the aerodynamic analysis in order to perform the aero-structural (flutter) analysis. The results obtained for these models will be compared.  These results have shown that no aeroelastic phenomenon occurred at the speeds, angles of attack and aileron deflections studied in the wind tunnel, and thus confirmed the prediction of the flutter analysis on the frequencies and modal displacements.

About the Speaker

Ruxandra Mihaela Botez, PhD, Full Professor

Canada Research Chair Level 1 Holder in Aircraft Modeling and Simulation New Technologies

Laboratory of Applied Research in Active Controls, Avionics and AeroServoElasticity

LARCASE

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