A RPV ADAPTIVE AEROELASTIC DEMONSTRATOR

摘要

This paper describes the wind tunnel aeroelastic testing of a Remotely Piloted flight Vehicle (RPV) with adaptive piezoelectric wings. The aeroelastic response to gusts and performance of the RPV wing using traditional aerodynamic control surface methods is compared to the results obtained using piezoelectric (PZT) actuation. Additionally, piezoelectric shunting, a passive form of control is used in order to create system redundancy, thus improving the RPV flight safety in the flight envelope worst-case scenario. Finally, implementation guidelines in terms of power requirements, miniaturization aspects, and the hardware in the loop required for the successful flight testing of the adaptive RPV are also provided.