Design optimization and testing of a morphing leading-edge with a variable-thickness compliant skin and a closed-chain mechanism

Climate warming and the increased demand in air travels motivate the aviation industry to urgently produce technological innovations.One of the most promising innovations is based on the smoothly continuous morphing leading-edge concept.This study proposes a two-step process for the design of a morphing leading-edge,including the optimization of the outer variable-thickness composite compliant skin and the optimization of the inner kinematic mechanism.For the compliant skin design,an optimization of the variable thickness composite skin is proposed based on a laminate continuity model,with laminate continuity constraint and other manufacturing constraints.The laminate continuity model utilizes a guiding sequence and a ply-drop sequence to describe the overall stacking sequence of plies in different thickness regions of the complaint skin.For the inner kinematic mechanism design,a coupled four-bar linkage system is proposed and optimized to produce specific trajectories at the actuation points on the stringer hats of the compliant skin,which ensures that the compliant skin can be deflected into the aerodynamically optimal profile.Finally,a morphing leading-edge is manufactured and tested.Experimental results are compared with numerical predictions,confirming the feasibility of the morphing leading-edge concept and the overall proposed design approach.

Aerodynamic characteristics of morphing wing withflexible leading-edge

The morphing wing can improve the flight performance during different phases.However,research has been subject to limitations in aerodynamic characteristics of the morphing wing with a flexible leading-edge.The computational fluid dynamic method and dynamic mesh were used to simulate the continuous morphing of the flexible leading-edge.After comparing the steady aerodynamic characteristics of morphing and conventional wings,this study examined the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of morphing wings with upward and downward deflections of the leading-edge at different frequencies.The numerical results show that for the steady aerodynamic,the leading-edge deflection mainly affects the stall characteristic.The downward deflection of the leading-edge increases the stall angle of attack and nose-down pitching moment.The results are opposite for the upward deflection.For the unsteady aerodynamic,at a small angle of attack,the transient lift coefficient of the upward deflection,growing with the increase of deflection frequency,is larger than that of the static case.The transient lift coefficient of the downward deflection,decreasing with the increase of deflection frequency,is smaller than that of the static case.However,at a large angle of attack,an opposite effect of deflection frequency on the transient lift coefficient was demonstrated.The transient lift coefficient is larger than that of the static case when the leading edge is in the nose-up stage,and lower than that of the static one in the nose-down stage.

Particle-Image Velocimetry and Force Measurements of Leading-Edge Serrations on Owl-Based Wing Models

High-resolution Particle-Image Velocimetry （PIV） and time-resolved force measurements were performed to analyze the impact of the comb-like structure on the leading edge of barn owl wings on the flow field and overall aerodynamic performance. The Reynolds number was varied in the range of 40,000 to 120,000 and the range of angle of attack was 0° to 6° for the PIV and -15° to ＋20° for the force measurements to cover the full flight envelope of the owl. As a reference, a wind-tunnel model which possessed a geometry based on the shape of a typical barn owl wing without any owl-specific adaptations was built, and measurements were performed in the aforementioned Reynolds number and angle of attack： range. This clean wing model shows a separation bubble in the distal part of the wing at higher angles of attack. Two types of comb-like structures, i.e., artificial serrations, were manufactured to model the owl＇s leading edge with respect to its length, thickness, and material properties. The artificial structures were able to reduce the size of the separation region and additionally cause a more uniform size of the vortical structures shed by the separation bubble within the Reynolds number range investigated, resulting in stable gliding flight independent of the flight velocity. However, due to increased drag coefficients in conjunction with similar lift coefficients, the overall aerodynamic performance, i.e., lift-to-drag ratio is reduced for the serrated models. Nevertheless, especially at lower Reynolds numbers the stabilizing effect of the uniform vortex size outperforms the lower aerodynamic performance.

基于Euler方程的二维高速海面效应数值分析

以近海面飞行器的海面效应为研究背景,通过数值求解可压缩Euler方程模拟了波形壁对翼型高亚声速气动力特性的影响。计算网格布局采用了重叠网格方法,避免了翼型与波形壁之间网格生成的困难。详细分析了波形壁边界条件,给出了正确的通量计算公式。时间推进方法采用了双时间方法,子迭代过程由LU-SGS方法完成。通过数值分析,给出了飞行高度、波长和波幅等因素对翼型气动力特性的影响。

近平静/波浪水面地效飞机气动特性风洞试验

为研究波浪水面地效飞机气动特性的变化规律,在Φ3.2 m低速风洞开发了新的试验技术,以模拟地效飞机飞越1 m实际浪高水面时的气动特性。研制了具有一定上下升沉和前后平移行程的固定波浪地板,模拟螺旋桨带动力地效飞机在起飞、巡航、着水等状态飞经波峰、波谷、中立位置等相位时的气动性能。在现有水平活动地板基础上,采用在水平活动带表面设置2个周期波形的方式研制了活动波浪地板,通过活动波浪带的周期性循环运行,模拟地效飞机不断飞越波浪的情况,其模拟相似性更高,可以更加准确地模拟地效飞机与波浪之间的相对运动。利用固定水平地板、固定波浪地板和活动波浪地板装置模拟空中、近平静水面和近波浪水面飞行状态,获得了地效飞机无动力和螺旋桨带动力条件的气动特性风洞试验结果。研究结果表明:螺旋桨带动力和地板对地效飞机起飞和着水状态气动性能具有很强的耦合影响,并非简单的叠加关系;地效飞机在波浪的不同相位上方时,升阻性能和俯仰力矩均存在较强变化,影响飞行平稳性。

地面效应作用下翼尖涡特性的PIV实验研究

完成了NACA23012机翼地面效应条件下翼尖涡结构及升阻力特性实验。实验在拖曳水槽中模拟机翼的飞行状态,获得了在多种飞行高度、0°攻角时机翼在水平地面和正弦波浪地面附近的升/阻力、翼尖涡流场的变化规律,对比分析了水平地面和波浪地面附近翼尖涡速度、涡量分布的区别及其可能对机翼升/阻力造成的影响。实验结果表明:即使在正弦波浪地面附近,随着机翼逐渐靠近地面,升力逐渐减小至负升力,翼尖涡的强度亦发生相应变化;尤其是在小间隙比、负升力情况下,翼尖涡的旋转方向产生了改变;流场结构不仅受机翼距地面高度影响,也随着波浪地面与机翼瞬时所处位置构成的相对相位关系的不同而变化,并且涡量沿波浪地面运动的变化呈现周期性,但变化规律并不符合正弦周期,主要原因在于波浪地形与下翼面所构成的流道形状及狭窄程度的周期性变化对翼尖涡流场结构的发展和演化产生不同程度的抑制。

A species-transport model for circulation in a leading-edge vortex

In this study,we propose a model to predict circulation growth along the span of a rotating wing,in which circulation transport is represented as species transport.Fluid particles entering the vortex shear layer at the leading edge are initialized as vorticity-containing mass and are advected by the flow along the span.A circulation budget is presented,consisting of a generation and transport term,the latter derived from the vorticity transport equation,which leaves only two unknowns for the modeller to determine:the shear-layer thickness and the spanwise flow distribution.We find that the model is insensitive to the value chosen for the shear-layer thickness,as varying the thickness by an order of magnitude only changes the output by a few percent.Meanwhile,we use Bernoulli equation in a rotating coordinates system as a basic model for spanwise flow.To verify the accuracy of the model,the predicted circulation values are compared against experimental circulation values and show good agreement to measurements close to the axis of rotation,which corresponds to the spanwise locations at which the spanwise flow model best matches experimental data.It is suggested,therefore,that this model produces accurate results subject to an appropriate spanwise flow model.

基于波状地面效应的自主运动仿生翼力学特性研究

自然界的生物可以利用地面效应获得的优良运动性能,受此启发,本文运用数值模拟研究了仿生翼在正弦波状地面下的自主运动。通过分析波状地面波长、翼型初始高度和俯仰周期对仿生翼性能的影响,深入分析了自主运动翼的位移、受力和绕流情况,揭示了波状地面效应下自主仿生翼的非定常涡度动力学。研究结果表明,当地面波长与仿生翼长度相同时,近地面的高频俯仰周期并不能使仿生翼获得最大的位移,适当的提高初始高度与俯仰周期能使仿生翼获得最佳升阻比。当地面波长增加为仿生翼长度的2倍时,大俯仰周期能使仿生翼获得最佳升阻比。

Aerodynamics of non-slender delta and reverse delta wings:Wing thickness,anhedral angle and cropping ratio

The effects of thickness-to-chord(t=c)ratio,anhedral angle(d),and cropping ratio from trailing-edge(Cr%)on the aerodynamics of non-slender reverse delta wings in comparison to non-slender delta wings with sweep angle of 45°were characterized in a low-speed wind tunnel using force and pressure measurements.The measurements were conducted for total of 8 different delta and reverse delta wings.Two different t/c ratios of 5.9%and 1.1%,and two different anhedral angles ofd=15°and 30°for non-cropped and cropped at Cr=30%conditions were tested.The results indicate that the reverse delta wings generate higher lift-to-drag ratio and have better longitudinal static stability characteristics compared to the delta wings.The wing thickness has favorable effect on longitudinal static stability for the reverse delta wing whereas longitudinal static stability is not influenced by wing thickness for the delta wing.For reverse delta wings,the anhe-draled wing without cropping has adverse effect on aerodynamic performance and decreases the lift-to-drag ratio.Cropping in anhedraled wing causes significant improvement in lift-to-drag ratio,shift in aerodynamic and pressure centers towards the trailing-edge,and enhancement in longitudi-nal static stability.

Design and experiment of concentrated flexibility-based variable camber morphing wing

The morphing wing has a significant positive effect on the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft.This paper describes a leading-edge of variable camber wing with concentrated flexibility based on the geared five-bar mechanism.The driving points of morphing skin formed by the glass fibre composite sheet were optimized to make the skin deformation smooth.A geared fivebar kinematic mechanism rigidly connected to the skin was proposed to drive the leading-edge deformation.Besides,a new kind of concentrated flexure hinge was designed using the pseudorigid-body method and applied to the joint between the rigid mechanism and the skin.Finally,the leading-edge prototypes with traditional hinges and flexure hinges were produced,respectively.The feasibility of the concentrated flexibility leading-edge was verified through the comparative experiments of ground deformation.Simultaneously,aerodynamic analysis was carried out to compare the concentrated flexure leading-edge wing with the original airfoil.

仿生波状前缘机翼动态失速控制的数值研究

该文提出了采用波状前缘机翼改善动态失速性能的有效控制方式。通过数值求解雷诺平均N-S方程,对比研究了波状前缘机翼和传统的光滑前缘机翼在动态失速时的力学性能和流动特征,并分析了前缘形状改进和可控拍动参数的影响,探讨有效的控制途径。研究结果表明,在深失速的动态失速控制中,波状前缘翼的复杂涡系能更稳定地附着在上翼面,其力学性能明显优于光滑前缘翼,尤其在大攻角范围内优势明显。波状前缘形状改变对升力能几乎没有影响,但转轴前移、增加拍幅和频率都能提高拍动波状前缘翼的升力。

曲面附近的机翼地面效应和流场结构的实验研究

该文介绍了机翼在正弦曲面地形上方运动的升/阻力特性和翼尖涡结构的拖曳水槽实验结果,其目的是研究地形周期性变化对机翼地面效应的影响。实验在拖曳水槽底部铺设正弦曲面地板,当机翼掠过地面时,由天平测量机翼载荷,同时采用时间分辨PIV(TR-PIV)系统测量翼尖涡速度分布及其时间演化过程,并且与相应实验条件下水平地面附近的地效翼的数据进行了对比,以分析曲面对机翼升/阻力、流场结构及其相位特性受地形影响的规律和特点。实验机翼模型采用NACA4412翼型,机翼弦长C=100 mm,雷诺数范围为2.0×105~3.0×105。与水平表面的地面效应相比,曲面地形对机翼受到的升/阻力产生了额外的周期性扰动,随着机翼远离地面该扰动减弱,相位特性表明当机翼前缘到达曲面地形波峰上方时升力也达到最大值;机翼飞行高度较低时曲面地形使翼尖涡提前发生耗散并产生明显的展向位移,同时不同波浪相位处产生的翼尖涡结构及强度不同,波峰处翼尖涡强度最弱。在较大攻角下周期性曲面引起的地面效应具有更高的增升减阻效率。

Physical properties of vortex and applicability of different vortex identification methods

For correct identification of vortices,this paper first analyzes the properties of the rigid vortex core and its induced flow field given by the Rankine vortex model,and it is concluded that the concentrated vortex structure should consist of the vortex core and the induced flow field(the potential flow region with a weak shear layer).Then the vortex structure is analyzed by using the Oseen vortex model.Compared with the Rankine vortex,the Oseen vortex is a concentrated vortex with a deformed vortex core.The vortex structure consists of the vortex core region,the transition region and the shear layer region(or the potential flow region).The transition region reflects the properties of the resultant vorticity of the same magnitude and the resultant deformation rate of the shear layer,and the transition region also determines the boundary of the vortex core.Finally,the evolution of leading-edge vortices of the double-delta wing is numerically simulated.And with different vortex identification methods,the shape and the properties of the leading-edge vortices identified by each method are analyzed and compared.It is found that in the vorticity concentration region,the vortices obtained by using ω,λ2,Ω criteria and Q criteria are basically identical when appropriate threshold values are adopted.However,in the region where the vorticity is dispersed,due to the influence of the flow viscous effect and the adverse pressure gradient,the results obtained by different vortex identification methods can be quite different,as well as the related physical properties,which need to be further studied.