SE²A B2.4 (2019-2022)

Morphing structures for the 1g-wing

The project B2.4 "Morphing structures for the 1g-wing" in the Cluster of Excellence SE²A deals with the exploitation of the non-linear structural behaviour of structural elements of an aerofoil to achieve passive load reduction. Passive load reduction means that the airfoil deforms under the aerodynamic load without additional actuators in such a way that load increases due to gusts or manoeuvres are reduced. The aim of such a limitation of the maximum occurring loads is to be able to design an aerofoil in a more weight-saving way. The structural behaviour under investigation focuses on significantly non-linear behaviour such as buckling.

The project consists of three phases, which are mainly processed with numerical methods. In phase 1, characteristic components from airfoil structures are investigated with regard to their non-linear structural behaviour. This serves the basic understanding of which parameters can be used to achieve a desired behaviour. In phase 2, the components with defined non-linear behaviour are inserted into a quasi-2D wing section and the structural models are coupled with a aerodynamic  model for an aeroelastic simulation. In this way, the deformation of the airfoil and the interaction of the deformation with the aerodynamic loads are considered in a detailed and time-accurate way.  Phase 3 extends this consideration to a complete 3D wing. In this way, more complex deformations, such as torsion to move the loads in the direction of the wing root, can be investigated and evaluated in order to finally develop suitable more weight-efficient wing concepts.

Further information on SE²A