The present disclosure defines a morphing airfoil having a dynamic flexible skin system that is capable of carrying high level aerodynamic (or fluid) pressure loads over a structural surface. The structural surface can morph and deflect in response to control inputs to change a lift force without separate movable control surfaces. The anisotropic skin is attached to underlying structure that is both actively controlled and passively supported. A control system causes the underlying support structure to move to a desired location which in turn causes the skin to bend and/or flex without exceeding a stress threshold and thus vary the lift profile along a span of the airfoil.
Morphing airfoil
2024-03-19
Patent
Electronic Resource
English