Closed-Loop Control Validation of a Morphing Wing Using Wind Tunnel Tests

Abstract

In this paper a rectangular finite aspect ratio wing, having a wing trailing edge airfoil reference airfoil cross section, was considered. The wing upper surface was made of a flexible composite material and instrumented with Kulite pressure sensors and two smart memory alloys actuators. Unsteady pressure signals were recorded and visualized in real time while the morphing wing was being deformed to reproduce various airfoil shapes by controlling the two actuators displacements. The controlling procedure was performed using two methods which are described in the paper. Several wind-tunnel test runs were performed for various angles of attack and Reynolds numbers in the 6 × 9 foot wind tunnel at the Institute for Aerospace Research at the National Research Council Canada. The Mach number was varied from 0.2 to 0.3, the Reynolds numbers varied between 2.29 and 3.36 x 10 6 , and the angle-of-attack range was within -1 to 2 degrees. Wind-tunnel measurements are presented for airflow boundary layer transition detection using high sampling rate pressure sensors.