Design and Fabrication of Morphing Wings

After years of research and trial, the aviation industry is at a place where we have achieved great feats of design and wonders of flight. In the present day, engineers have to be able to come up with new methods or technology to make aircraft more efficient in flight. One of the ways that is helpin

Project Title

Design and Fabrication of Morphing Wings

Project Area of Specialization

Mechanical Engineering

Project Summary

After years of research and trial, the aviation industry is at a place where we have achieved great feats of design and wonders of flight. In the present day, engineers have to be able to come up with new methods or technology to make aircraft more efficient in flight. One of the ways that is helping them achieve this is the concept of morphing. Just as a bird flies taking full advantage of its changing wing shape, morphing employs the same concept to become compliant in every flight operating condition.

Efficient flight performance is characterized by a low drag at high lift values. With the use of hinged control surfaces, flow separation at edges causes a considerable increase in drag. By using morphing wings that consist of a seamless transformation from wing body to control surfaces, these sudden disturbances can be eliminated and consequently, drag can be reduced. We believe that through the incorporation of morphing wings, airplanes can be made to perform a wider range of functions with better performance. An examination directed by NASA in its Elastically Shape Future Air Vehicle project demonstrated that using morphed lifting surfaces for in-flight stream control brought about drag decrease during the voyage and upgraded lift execution during take-off and landing. Besides, a morphed trailing edge flap would seal the holes present toward the finish of the control surfaces in both chord and span-wise directions, eliminating the little pockets known for their high vorticity and noise production.

Project Objectives

1. Validation of Concept

2. Design of Morphing Wings

3. Fabrication of Morphing Wing

4. Wind Tunnel Testing of Wing

Project Implementation Method

The project will begin with software work. We will use the software ANSYS for the purpose of proof of concept. A base paper was followed to produce promising results through the implementation of morphing wings. When this validation is done, we will begin with the design of the morphing wing. This design will consist of skin, a skeletal system and an actuation system. Then we will move onto the fabrication portion. The fabrication will be carried out by all three members using the concept of 3D printing. Finally, once the wing has been constructing, we will do its wind tunnel testing to ensure positive results.

Benefits of the Project

After significant research, the main advantages of a morphing wing were enlisted as follows (for flight performance):

a. Better fuel consumption (lower SFC).

b. Higher L/D ratio.

c. Wider range of functions performed by a single aircraft.

d. Less noisy.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

1. Design of Morphing Wing

2. Fabrication of Morphing Wing

3. Wind Tunnel Testing

4. CFD Analysis 

5. Comparison of Results 

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Transportation

Other Industries

Others

Core Technology

Others

Other Technologies

3D/4D Printing

Sustainable Development Goals

Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Climate Action

Required Resources

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