Analysis and Design of a Leading Edge with Morphing Capabilities for the Wing of a Regional Aircraft—Gapless Chord- and Camber-Increase for High-Lift Performance

Seiji Adachi,Dominik Laveuve,Jens-David Wacker,Conchin Contell Asins,Michael May,Volker Landersheim,Julia Decker

doi:10.3390/app11062752

Abstract

In order to contribute to achieving noise and emission reduction goals, Fraunhofer and Airbus deal with the development of a morphing leading edge (MLE) as a high lift device for aircraft. Within the European research program “Clean Sky 2”, a morphing leading edge with gapless chord- and camber-increase for high-lift performance was developed. The MLE is able to morph into two different aerofoils—one for cruise and one for take-off/landing, the latter increasing lift and stall angle over the former. The shape flexibility is realised by a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) skin optimised for bending and a sliding contact at the bottom. The material is selected in terms of type, thickness, and lay-up including ply-wise fibre orientation based on numerical simulation and material tests. The MLE is driven by an internal electromechanical actuation system. Load introduction into the skin is realised by span-wise stringers, which require specific stiffness and thermal expansion properties for this task. To avoid the penetration of a bird into the front spar of the wing in case of bird strike, a bird strike protection structure is proposed and analysed. In this paper, the designed MLE including aerodynamic properties, composite skin structure, actuation system, and bird strike behaviour is described and analysed.

Highlights

The aviation industry is developing quieter and more efficient aircraft to reach the environmental goals of Flightpath 2050 [1,2]
In order to contribute to achieving noise and emission reduction goals, Fraunhofer and Airbus deal with the development of a morphing leading edge (MLE) as a high lift device for aircraft
The material is selected in terms of type, thickness, and lay-up including ply-wise fibre orientation based on numerical simulation and material tests

Summary

Introduction

The aviation industry is developing quieter and more efficient aircraft to reach the environmental goals of Flightpath 2050 [1,2]. The investigation and development of new high-lift devices provide an improvement of aerodynamics, and a positive effect on the emission of noise and pollutants. If a gapless high lift device can be designed, this source of noise emission vanishes, which may in turn reduce the noise footprint of the aircraft. Within the scope of the European project “Smart high lift devices for generation wings” (SADE) between 2008 and 2012 diverse concepts for deformable leading and trailing edge were considered. WFoinllgowa ihnogliasthicoldisetsiicgdneaspigpnroaapcphr,oFarcahu,nFhraoufenrhLoBfeFriLnBcFolilnabcoorllaatbioonrawtioitnh with Fraunhofer IBP, Fraunhofer EMI, and Airbus have developed a morphing leading edge (MLE) with gapless chord- and camber-increase for high-lift performance within.

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Findings

Selection and Design of the Stringers