Work

Aerodynamic-driven morphing aircraft and its overall design

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Fixed-wing long-endurance aircraft play an important role in many fields. However, to reduce drag, these aircraft often have an enormous aspect ratio and wingspan, leading to challenges such as high requirements for takeoff and landing sites and poor wind resistance. Morphing may be able to solve this problem, but conventional morphing aircraft often employ complex actuation mechanisms and actuators to drive the morphing process. The associated costs in terms of structural weight increase and space occupancy are prohibitively high. First, this article develops a high-aspect-ratio aircraft with aerodynamic-driven morphing and validates the rationality and feasibility of this concept through flight tests. Then, focusing on the RQ-4 “Global Hawk” as the design baseline, the article explores multidisciplinary overall design methods for the aircraft, analyzing the comprehensive impact of morphing on aerodynamic, structural, and flight control design. Finally, the article elaborates on the benefits and costs associated with aerodynamic-driven morphing.

Source: Chinese Journal of Aeronautics

DOI: 10.1016/j.cja.2024.11.032

Authors: Tingyu GUO, Chenhua ZHU, Liangtao FENG, Yuyu DUAN, Haixin CHEN

Institution: Tsinghua University

Language: English

Topic: Aeroelasticity and Vibration Control

Subfield: Aerospace Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,000

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China