In this paper, the optimal distribution of actuators throughout an in-plane flexible morphing wing structure was investigated. The drive to minimize structural weight causes a wing to be more flexible, and the locations and orientations of the actuators become more critical as the structure becomes more flexible. The optimal location and orientation varied depending on the loading conditions and initial configuration of the wing. The optimization problem was stated such to minimize weight, while maximizing the geometric advantage (GA) and efficiency of the system. The optimization problem constraints were member stresses, and the force transferred to the actuators was not to be greater than the force the actuator is able to produce. Each unit cell was comprised of four linkages pinned together, and possibly an actuator. The flexible skin was modeled as a non-linear elastic spring stretched between two apposing vertices. Initially, a purely rigid system was studied for both the single-cell and three-cell systems. Next, the flexible cases for the single-cell and three-cell models were examined. Experiments were designed for the single-cell and three-cell models using both the NASTRAN optimization toolbox and MATLAB. The three-cell experiment was designed using aeroelastic scaling techniques. Results for the single-cell and three-cell analyses will be compared to experimental data for validation.
Multi-disciplinary optimization of a distributed actuation system in a flexible morphing wing
Interdisziplinäre Optimierung eines verteilten Aktoriksystems in einem flexiblen variierbaren Flügel
2007
11 Seiten, 5 Quellen
Conference paper
English
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2007
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