On the Design of Morphing Airfoils using Spinal Structures

In this paper the design of spinal structures for the control of morphing airfoils is examined. The aim is to find structures that, when suitably loaded, can alter the aerodynamic shape of a cladding that forms the airfoil. Morphing through different cambered airfoils to achieve aerodynamic properties for different maneuvers is then possible by exploiting a range of incremental non-linear structural solutions. Further, by using structures that are acting in the post-buckling regime, it is possible to obtain significant changes in shape with only modest changes in applied load. The structure also presents enhanced aeroelastic properties.Results are formulated in terms of the aerodynamic properties of the morphed airfoils using a shape optimized beam as the spinal structure with fixed aerodynamic cladding