Optimization, Manufacturing and Testing of a Composite Wing with Maximized Tip Deflection

Abstract

The directional properties of composite materials offer excellent potential for stiffness tailoring. An optimal design of a composite structure can hence be used to favourably tackle aeroelastic behaviour, for instance, to passively alleviate load or to induce favourable displacements so as to counter adverse effects such as divergence. This article presents the design, manufacture and testing of an aeroelastically tailored composite wing targeting maximum deformation. The wing was designed using an optimization process combining a stiffness-based continuous optimization, followed by a discrete stacking sequence optimization with blended laminates. The optimized design was manufactured using a carbon fibre pre-preg. The wing was then tested at subsonic speeds upto 60m/s and wing deformation, lift and root bending moment were measured. The results from the wind tunnel tests and the simulations used in the optimization show good correlation. The large tailoring potential attainable using a simple rectangular planform wing show promising prospects for planned future experiments, which target stronger aeroelastic tailoring with forward-swept wings.