Conceptual Design and Experimental Demonstration of a Distributedly Actuated Morphing Wing

Abstract

A distributedly actuated morphing wing is designed and demonstrated to achieve a continuous camber variation technique. Cross-shaped flexible honeycombs with overlying silicone facesheets are filled in the trailing edge, which could produce a smooth bending deformation. Mechanical properties of the honeycombs are studied by analytical, simulated, and experimental methods, which indicate that the cross-shaped honeycombs have large in-plane flexibility and out-of-plane stiffness to satisfy the deformation and bearing requirements of the wing. A series of lightweight pressurized telescopic tube actuators are embedded in the trailing-edge surfaces to implement a distributed actuation. Analytical and experimental studies are carried out on the driving force and axial stiffness of the actuators, which show that the actuators could produce a large axial driving force and displacement, and provide a certain compression stiffness to resist part airloads. Simulation and demonstration experiments are conducted to the assembled morphing wing, which show that the trailing edge could achieve the designed deflection and safely bear the airload.