Progress on the Design, Analysis and Experimental Testing of a Composite Fish Bone Active Camber Morphing Wing

This work presents progress on the design, analysis and manufacture of the first composite Fish Bone Active Camber (FishBAC) morphing wing. The FishBAC is a morphing trailing edge device that is able to generate large, smooth and continuous changes in aerofoil camber distribution from a biologically inspired compliant structure. It has already shown promising results in terms of its large lift control authority and its ability to generate significantly lower drag when compared to the traditional trailing edge flaps, which are ubiquitous in aviation. However, prototypes to date have been manufactured using 3D printed isotropic materials (i.e. polymers), and they were designed around a one-dimensional structural model using Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory. As a consequence, existing prototypes are unable to take advantage of the significant aerodynamic and structural benefits that can be achieved with material anisotropy and spanwise varying deformations. The focus of this work is on designing, manufacturing and testing the first composite FishBAC device. The design was performed using a recently developed two-dimensional discontinuous Kirchhoff-Love plate model, where fully anisotropic laminates can be analysed and static displacement fields can be predicted under transverse pressure loads and actuation inputs. This model has been validated using FEM, but no experimental comparisons have been performed due to the lack of a composite FishBAC prototype. A ‘modular’ design approach was followed for the wind tunnel model, which allows for easy installation and removal of both the leading edge and composite FishBACs devices from the main load bearing member of the wing. This gives the option to manufacture several FishBACs with different material parameters (i.e. stacking sequences) and structural configurations, as well as modifying the leading edge, if other morphing concepts are to be tested.