Wing Research Articles

3D experimental investigation of floating breakwater with symmetrical openings and wing structures

To enhance the efficiency of floating breakwaters (FB) in attenuating long-period waves, a novel design featuring wing structures and forward openings was proposed. Both experimental and numerical studies were conducted in a two-dimensional wave tank to validate the feasibility and efficiency of its innovative wave dissipation mechanism. Nevertheless, the three-dimensional (3D) performance of the new configuration has not been thoroughly explored. Additionally, a portion of the wave energy impacting the rear wall of the FB propagates to the sheltered area, negatively affecting wave dissipation. Therefore, this paper presents an improved design and experimentally investigates its 3D hydrodynamic performance. The enhanced FB incorporates wing structures and symmetrical opening tunnels to augment wave energy dissipation. A comprehensive FB system, including the main body, connection structures, and mooring system, was meticulously engineered. A series of experiments were conducted in a wave pool, and the results demonstrate superior wave attenuation performance and minimal motion response of the novel FB. Furthermore, the effect of diffraction waves on wave attenuation performance was also investigated. The mooring system experiences uniform and minimal loading, confirming its design effectiveness. Consequently, the proposed 3D FB system exhibits promising potential for practical engineering applications.

Lyapunov-based Nonlinear Vibration Control of an Underactuated Aircraft Wing Model

Lyapunov-based Nonlinear Vibration Control of an Underactuated Aircraft Wing Model

A method to optimal design the geometric parameters of a foldable flapping wing based on quasi-steady aerodynamics

Compared to rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft, foldable flapping wing aircraft have more significant advantages. Most foldable flapping wing aircraft (FFWA) are designed based on bionics of birds directly. However, the geometric parameters of these aircraft have been analyzed or optimized to improve a FFWA’s flight performance rarely. To improve FFWA’s flight performance and reduce the dependence on the thrust, a method to optimal design a foldable flapping wing geometric parameters based on aerodynamics has been proposed in this paper. First, a quasi-steady lifting line theory of foldable flapping wings was derived, and the expression of its lift in the vertical direction was obtained based on aerodynamics. Then, a typical FFWA model was taken as the studied object and an objective function to obtain the maximum lift in the vertical direction of a cycle was put forward. Third, we analyzed the relationship of some key geometrical parameters of the inner and outer wings of the FFWA model in terms of the requirements and capabilities of the objective function. Finally, we optimized the key geometrical parameters by using genetic algorithm. The angle between inner wings decreased from 132.58° to 16.59° and the angle between the inner wing and the outer wing decreased from 105.60° to 29.56° at the highest position, which were more similar to the flight status of birds. The outer wings were expanded more rapidly and the movement range of the outer wing tip was wider after optimization. The lift of the optimized aircraft increased with 110% by calculation.

An Algorithm for Affordable Vision-Based GNSS-Denied Strapdown Celestial Navigation

Celestial navigation is rarely seen in modern Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The size and weight of a stabilized imaging system, and the lack of precision, tend to be at odds with the operational requirements of the aircraft. Nonetheless, celestial navigation is one of the few non-emissive modalities that enables global navigation over the ocean at night in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) denied environments. This study demonstrates a modular, low cost, lightweight strapdown celestial navigation solution that is utilized in conjunction with Ardupilot running on a Cube Orange to produce position estimates to within 4 km. By performing an orbit through a full rotation of compass heading and averaging the position output, we demonstrate that the biases present in a strapdown imaging system can be nullified to drastically improve the position estimate. Furthermore, an iterative method is presented which enables the geometric alignment of the camera with the Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) in-flight without an external position input. The algorithm is tested using real flight data captured from a fixed wing aircraft. The results from this study offer promise for the application of low cost celestial navigation as a redundant navigation modality in affordable, lightweight drones.

Development of a Novel Tailless X-Type Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle with Independent Electric Drive

A novel tailless X-type flapping-wing micro air vehicle with two pairs of independent drive wings is designed and fabricated in this paper. Due to the complexity and unsteady of the flapping wing mechanism, the geometric and kinematic parameters of flapping wings significantly influence the aerodynamic characteristics of the bio-inspired flying robot. The wings of the vehicle are vector-controlled independently on both sides, enhancing the maneuverability and robustness of the system. Unique flight control strategy enables the aircraft to have multiple flight modes such as fast forward flight, sharp turn and hovering. The aerodynamics of the prototype is analyzed via the lattice Boltzmann method of computational fluid dynamics. The chordwise flexible deformation of the wing is implemented via designing a segmented rigid model. The clap-and-peel mechanism to improve the aerodynamic lift is revealed, and two air jets in one cycle are shown. Moreover, the dynamics experiment for the novel vehicle is implemented to investigate the kinematic parameters that affect the generation of thrust and maneuver moment via a 6-axis load cell. Optimized parameters of the flapping wing motion and structure are obtained to improve flight dynamics. Finally, the prototype realizes controllable take-off and flight from the ground.

Investigation of aerodynamic characteristics of concept wing design inspired by the sooty shearwater

Biomimetics, the practice of drawing inspiration from nature to solve engineering challenges, has gained significant traction in aerospace design, particularly in the development of more efficient wing structures. This study investigated the aerodynamic potential of concept wing designs inspired by the Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna Grisea), a seabird renowned for its long-distance migratory capabilities and energy-efficient flight patterns. By leveraging the unique wing morphology of the Sooty Shearwater, three biomimetic wing models were developed using the Goettingen 173 airfoil. These designs were tested in a wind tunnel, where force measurements and flow visualization techniques were employed to evaluate their performance. Force measurement results show that a two-stage stall occurs for both models 1 and 2, with lift coefficient (CL) reaching an intermediate value when the first step occurs. Based on flow visualization results, model 1 demonstrates enhanced aerodynamic performance relative to the other models by dividing the laminar separation bubble into two sections in the spanwise direction as a result of the large stall cell formation. The findings reveal how specific aspects of the shearwater's wing structure can be translated into unmanned aerial vehicle designs, potentially enhancing aerodynamic efficiency in low-speed, low-Reynolds-number flight regimes.

Investigation of the aerodynamic performance of the dragonfly-inspired tandem wings considering the coupling between the stroke plane and phase difference

The dragonfly's tandem wings can make full use of the interference of various spatial vortices to obtain efficient flight capability. The complex coupling among multiple motion parameters will have an important influence on the interference between the forewing (FW) and hindwing (HW). In this paper, the aerodynamic performance of the dragonfly-inspired tandem wings is analyzed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method considering the coupling effect of the stroke plane and phase difference. The variation of the force coefficient, vortex structure and aerodynamic efficiency of the tandem wings in forward flight are analyzed, respectively. The results show that the stroke plane angle affects the distribution of the leading edge vortex (LEV) and trailing edge vortex (TEV), which primarily controls the trend of horizontal force variation. The phase difference of tandem wings will change the fluctuation of the horizontal force coefficient curve by affecting the meeting time of the forewing and hindwing. However, with the increase of stroke plane angle, the fluctuation of aerodynamic coefficient caused by phase difference will decrease. The propulsion efficiency(η) and power loading(PL) can be improved through increasing the stroke plane angle and selecting a reasonable phase difference. The conclusion can provide theoretical guidance for the design of the dragonfly-inspired tandem flapping wing aircraft (DTFWA) and the choice of motion parameters.

Research on machining technology of stepped boring for intersecting holes in aircraft

Abstract During the assembly process of a large-scale aircraft fuselage, critical bearing areas require the drilling of intersecting holes, which are commonly processed using traditional single-edged reamers by most domestic manufacturers. To improve the efficiency and accuracy of the finishing process for these holes, enhance the quality of the assembly, and further shorten the construction cycle for precision processing, improvements need to be made to traditional single-edge reamer machining methods. This paper proposes a new approach that uses stepped reamers to machine intersecting holes. By setting up an experimental platform to simulate actual processing conditions and optimize processing parameters, the study analyzes and compares the quality and efficiency of traditional reaming and stepped reaming modes. The results show that stepped reaming can improve processing efficiency by 50.6% compared to traditional machining while also reducing human intervention and minimizing quality risks. The findings from this research project can be extended to various aircraft fuselages or wings for precise drilling of intersecting holes, providing significant guidance for efficient and high-quality delivery of aircraft.

3D printed feathers with embedded aerodynamic sensing

Bird flight is often characterized by outstanding aerodynamic efficiency, agility and adaptivity in dynamic conditions. Feathers play an integral role in facilitating these aspects of performance, and the benefits feathers provide largely derive from their intricate and hierarchical structures. Although research has been attempted on developing membrane-type artificial feathers for bio-inspired aircraft and micro air vehicles (MAVs), fabricating anatomically accurate artificial feathers to fully exploit the advantages of feathers has not been achieved. Here, we present our 3D printed artificial feathers consisting of hierarchical vane structures with feature dimensions spanning from 10-2to 102mm, which have remarkable structural, mechanical and aerodynamic resemblance to natural feathers. The multi-step, multi-scale 3D printing process used in this work can provide scalability for the fabrication of artificial feathers tailored to the specific size requirements of aircraft wings. Moreover, we provide the printed feathers with embedded aerodynamic sensing ability through the integration of customized piezoresistive and piezoelectric transducers for strain and vibration measurements, respectively. Hence, the 3D printed feather transducers combine the aerodynamic advantages from the hierarchical feather structure design with additional aerodynamic sensing capabilities, which can be utilized in future biomechanical studies on birds and can contribute to advancements in high-performance adaptive MAVs.

Investigating the Effects of Canard Dihedral Angle on the Wing Span Loading in a Forward-Swept Wing Aircraft at Transonic Speeds at Steady State Conditions Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Investigating the Effects of Canard Dihedral Angle on the Wing Span Loading in a Forward-Swept Wing Aircraft at Transonic Speeds at Steady State Conditions Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Aeroelastic Structural Analysis to Calculate Symmetrical Divergence Modes of an Aircraft Wing Using Aerodynamic Lifting Line Theory

This work explores the use of numerical matrix iteration to determine an aircraft wing's divergence speed using the aerodynamic span effects approach. The present work begins with the construction of equilibrium equations in differential and integral forms. In this paper, integral formulas are used because it serves as a convenient basis for numerical solutions of complex practical problems. Second, the straight-tapered wing is divided into a number of Multhopp stations. Subsequently, the stations' torsional influence coefficient matrix has been calculated. Third, lifting line theory was used as a suitable choice of aerodynamic theory, and the governing equations were represented in matrix form. Finally, aerodynamic span effects are taken into consideration with induction effects according to Prandtl’s lifting line theory to calculate the symmetrical divergence speed from the lowest eigenvalue of the homogenous governing integral equation. To get the solution to converge, a matrix has been iterated using the MATLAB environment. The obtained results will aid modern aircraft designers in their understanding of wing instability in steady motion.

An estimation method for vision-based autonomous landing system for fixed wing aircraft

In this paper, we propose a vision-based estimation method for autonomous landing of fixed-wing aircraft for Advanced Air Mobility. The concept of autonomous flight with minimal human intervention has gained significant interest with a particular focus on autonomous landing. The goal is to overcome the limitations of existing instrument landing systems and reduce reliance on GNSS during aircraft landing. The proposed system leverages the following techniques for high-performance and real-time operations in various real-world environments and during all stages of landing. A deep learning segmentation model was directly learned, created, and used for robust runway recognition performance against environmental changes around the runway. Algorithms were designed to adapt to different flight stages considering the varying information offered by image data when the aircraft is in mid-air and on the ground. The relative lateral position from the aircraft to the runway was estimated using bird’s-eye-view conversion and inverse projection techniques instead of conventional perspective-n-point methods for reducing the recognition error occurring from the conversion between 2D image and 3D world. Finally, the mixed-precision technique was used for the segmentation model to improve inference speed and ensure real-time operation in real-world deployment. Estimation stability and reliability were improved by using a Kalman Filter to cope with sensor uncertainties caused by the real-world flight environment. Consequently, we show that the average error in the lateral position estimation by the proposed method is comparable to the accuracy of a single GNSS and demonstrate successful autonomous landing of our test aircraft with a set of flight tests.

Implementation of reengineering technology in the technological preparation for general aviation airplane wing tip manufacturing based on the construction of a digital mock-up

The object of this study is the technological preparation of the production of a light aircraft wing using reverse engineering technology. The subject of research is a quality indicator – the geometric accuracy of manufacturing the convex-concave parts of aerospace technology. Calculations of geometric accuracy were performed for the program-instrumental method of co-ordination. As the experimental part it was taken the worn out wing tip of a light aircraft. The following results were obtained. An approach for specifying the aerodynamic airfoil and cross sections of the wing tip when constructing its digital model has been proposed. A 3D scanning of the wing tip with the formation of a digital portrait in STL format, as well as its refinement into a STEP format, using organic and mechanical methods, was accomplished. A digital mock-up of the wing tip was built taking into account the geometry of the aerodynamic airfoil in cross sections as well as a digital mock-up of the form (mould) for its manufacture according to the polygonal model, which was created by the organic method due to it had the highest dimensional accuracy. It was determined that the maximum deviation of the actual wing contour from the theoretical one was as follows: the upper deviation was 0.84 mm, the lower deviation was –0.65 mm. The maximum deviation of the actual wing contour from the theoretical one was ±0.3 mm. The expected (calculated) errors did not exceed the specified value of the tolerance on the wing outer contour that equal to ±1.0 mm, thus, the adopted method of assembling the wing under the conditions of co-ordination by the program-instrumental method ensured the specified geometric accuracy. The results of experimental studies confirmed the adequacy of the proposed approach for determining the aerodynamic airfoil of the cross-sections of the digital mock-up of convex-concave parts for aerospace technology during their technological preparation for production with the use of reverse engineering.

Arrangements of intramembranous muscles of wings are influenced by body mass across the radiation of phyllostomid bats.

Extensive research into bat flight mechanisms has highlighted the complex functional and evolutionary dynamics of their wing structures, yet the anatomical details of certain wing muscles remain elusive. In particular, the intramembranous plagiopatagiales proprii muscles, located within the plagiopatagium-an area of the wing lacking direct joint connections-exhibit remarkable variation across bat families. These muscles, which extend anteroposteriorly in macroscopic bundles, play a crucial role in wing stiffening, modulating membrane tension, and reducing wing curvature during flight. Since larger bats tend to have higher wing loading (WL; the ratio of body mass [BMa] to wing area) and may therefore experience increased patagial curvature and resultant drag, we hypothesized that body size significantly influences the evolutionary development of the plagiopatagiales proprii muscles. This study investigates the relationship between BMa and the morphology of the plagiopatagiales proprii in New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae), employing bivariate allometry, multivariate analysis, and comparative phylogenetic methods across 24 species from eight phyllostomid subfamilies. Our findings reveal a significant phylogenetic signal in muscle architecture, along with positive evolutionary allometry in muscle area. This suggests an adaptive increase in muscle size in larger species, likely to counterbalance the increased WL, reduce wing curvature, and minimize drag. This research enhances our understanding of the functional and adaptive morphological evolution of intramembranous wing muscles in phyllostomid bats, underscoring their evolutionary significance.

Aeroelasticity of an aircraft wing with nonlinear energy sink

In this paper, the effectiveness of nonlinear energy sinks on enhancing aeroelastic stability and post-instability response of aircraft wings is investigated. The wing has two degrees of freedom in bending and torsion, and is modelled using an extended Euler-Bernoulli beam theory with hardening nonlinearity. A Nonlinear Energy Sink (NES) absorber is embedded inside the wing distributed along the wing span. The wing attached unsteady aerodynamic loads are simulated using the Wagner's indicial lift model. The structural dynamics of the wing are derived using Extended Hamilton's Principle and it is discretised using Galerkin's method. The NES mass is connected to the wing spar through a linear damper and nonlinear spring with a cubic stiffness nonlinearity. The coupled aeroelastic equations are then transformed to state space. Then, integrated numerically to resolve the bending and torsional response of the wing to study the impact of spanwise and chordwise positions of the embedded NES on flutter suppression and instability response enhancement. The results demonstrate that the NES is most efficient and is most sensitive to changes in the stiffness when placed at the wingtip. For a given chordwise location, it is found that there is a range of flow speeds over which the NES is most effective and reducing the chordwise offset lowers the speed of the peak efficiency range and moves it closer to the flutter speed. In addition, increasing the stiffness coefficient of the NES improves the efficiency of the device in the immediate post-flutter region. Two near optimum NES devices are proposed with a mass ratios of 1% (located at the wingtip) and 2.5% (located at 75% span). Both of these improve the flutter speed by 5%, and reduce the post-flutter response by 64.5% and 59.2%, respectively.

Investigation of dynamic response characteristics of light fixed-wing aircraft

In order to ensure the stability of light fixed-wing aircraft during flight missions, considering the effects of relative airflow velocity and angle of attack, the distribution characteristics of velocity and pressure fields under different conditions, as well as the law of change of dynamic parameters, were derived by using aerodynamic methods. In the free modal condition, the modal truncation method was used to simulate and analyze the low-order modal shapes. Based on the modal analysis results, the sweep frequency range was set to 3-50 Hz, with a step size of 1.6 Hz, for a total of 30 substeps. A harmonic load of 1500 N was applied to the fuselage, and the displacement-frequency response curves and stress-frequency response curves of the fuselage structure and wing structure were extracted after the calculation. The results shows that the maximum lift-drag ratio occurs when the angle of attack is 6°, and the peak displacement deformation of the aircraft occurred around 24 Hz.

Data-Driven Sparse Sensor Placement Optimization on Wings for Flight-By-Feel: Bioinspired Approach and Application.

Flight-by-feel (FBF) is an approach to flight control that uses dispersed sensors on the wings of aircraft to detect flight state. While biological FBF systems, such as the wings of insects, often contain hundreds of strain and flow sensors, artificial systems are highly constrained by size, weight, and power (SWaP) considerations, especially for small aircraft. An optimization approach is needed to determine how many sensors are required and where they should be placed on the wing. Airflow fields can be highly nonlinear, and many local minima exist for sensor placement, meaning conventional optimization techniques are unreliable for this application. The Sparse Sensor Placement Optimization for Prediction (SSPOP) algorithm extracts information from a dense array of flow data using singular value decomposition and linear discriminant analysis, thereby identifying the most information-rich sparse subset of sensor locations. In this research, the SSPOP algorithm is evaluated for the placement of artificial hair sensors on a 3D delta wing model with a 45° sweep angle and a blunt leading edge. The sensor placement solution, or design point (DP), is shown to rank within the top one percent of all possible solutions by root mean square error in angle of attack prediction. This research is the first to evaluate SSPOP on a 3D model and the first to include variable length hairs for variable velocity sensitivity. A comparison of SSPOP against conventional greedy search and gradient-based optimization shows that SSPOP DP ranks nearest to optimal in over 90 percent of models and is far more robust to model variation. The successful application of SSPOP in complex 3D flows paves the way for experimental sensor placement optimization for artificial hair-cell airflow sensors and is a major step toward biomimetic flight-by-feel.

Aerodynamic study of a leading-edge rotating cylinder in a cambered aerofoil (NACA2412)

Purpose Flow separation over an aircraft’s wing beyond a specific angle of attack is challenging. Flow boundary layer manipulation has been investigated to improve aerofoil lift and mitigate flow separation difficulties including stall and drag. This is solved via active or passive flow control. Active flow control method moving surface boundary (MSB) enhances shear flow momentum, making it effective. MSB is easier than suction and blowing. Asymmetrical airfoils, which generate lift in aircraft wings, have received less MSB research than symmetrical ones. The purpose of this study is to asses the design efficacy of MSB’s NACA 2412 aerofoil. Design/methodology/approach To observe the performance of MSB in NACA 2412, a computational model has been created, and aerodynamical performance has been analyzed. Findings The study results show that the NACA 2412 with MSB has better aerodynamic efficiency than the NACA 2412 base design. It works best when it reaches its optimal speed and the delay in flow separation works well. Research limitations/implications Limitations may include specific aerofoil applicability, external factors and simulation constraints. Implications guide future research for broader insights and applications. Practical implications Improving asymmetrical aerofoil performance, mitigating stall effects, reducing drag and optimizing designs with moving surface boundary. Insights gained can enhance overall aircraft efficiency and flow control techniques. Originality/value The MSB flow control in a chambered aerofoil is less explored and not explored enough in wing-based aerofoils, and the optimal cylinder speed ratio trend has been discussed at each angle of attack studied.

Elucidating structure and metabolism of insect biomaterials by solid-state NMR

Among the many natural biomaterials for which information on atomic-level structure and reorientational motion can offer essential clues to function, insoluble multi-component composites with limited degrees of order are among the most challenging to study. Despite its limited sensitivity, solid-state NMR (ssNMR) is often the technique of choice to ferret out these details in carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials: this spectroscopic approach can probe many biomaterials in their native or near-native states, either with or without the introduction of stable NMR-active isotopes, or with the assistance of dynamic nuclear polarization technology. During a span of close to four decades, such research targets and ssNMR approaches have been exemplified by insects, a diverse and evolutionarily agile group of organisms with global impacts that include ecology, agriculture, and human disease. In this short review, we present case studies on insect cuticles that range from protective exoskeletons and egg capsules to the wing structures that enable flight and showcase nature's awe-inspiring beauty, highlighting the use of ssNMR spectroscopy to profile chemical composition, elucidate macromolecular architecture, and monitor metabolic development in these fascinating biological assemblies.

On the Growth of Small Cracks in 2024‐T3 and Boeing Space, Intelligence and Weapon Systems AM LPBF Scalmalloy®

ABSTRACTThe desire to use additively manufactured (AM) parts to ensure the availability of military aircraft, and to build limited‐life unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), coupled with the United States Air Force (USAF) approach to the airworthiness certification of AM parts has focused attention on durability analysis/assessment, and hence on the growth of small cracks in AM parts. Previous studies have shown that laser powder fusion built (LPBF) Scalmalloy® has: i) A yield stress and an ultimate strength that are greater than that of AA2024‐T3 and comparable to that of AA7075‐T6; ii) A resistance to crack growth that is better than that of AA7075‐T6 and comparable to that of AA2024‐T3. However, since the ability to predict the durability of a part is essential for its airworthiness certification, the present paper illustrates how to perform a linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)‐based durability assessment of Boeing Space, Intelligence and Weapon System (BSIWS) LPBF Scalmalloy®. The durability study includes specimens with both machined surfaces and surfaces left in the as‐built condition. As a result, it would appear that BISWS AM LPBF Scalmalloy® is an ideal candidate for building limited‐life AM replacement parts for fixed and rotary wing aircraft and drones.