Design and integration sensitivity of a morphing trailing edge on a reference airfoil: The effect on high-altitude long-endurance aircraft performance

摘要

Trailing edge modification is one of the most effective ways to achieve camber variations. Usual flaps and aileron implementudthis concept and allow facing the different needs related to take-off, landing, and maneuver operations. The extensionudof this idea to meet other necessities, less dramatic in terms of geometry change yet useful a lot to increase theudaircraft performance, moves toward the so-called morphing architectures, a compact version of the formers andudinserted within the frame of the smart structures’ design philosophy. Mechanic (whether compliant or kinematic), actuationudand sensor systems, together with all the other devices necessary for its proper working, are embedded into theudbody envelope. After the successful experiences, gained inside the SARISTU (SmARt Intelligent Aircraft STrUctures)udproject where an adaptive trailing edge was developed with the aim of compensating the weight variations in a mediumsizeudcommercial aircraft (for instance, occurring during cruise), the team herein exploits the defined architecture in theudwing of a typical airfoil, used on high-altitude long-endurance aircraft such as the Global Hawk. Among the peculiaritiesudof this kind of aerial vehicle, there is the long endurance, in turn, associated with a massive fuel storage (approximatelyudaround 50% of the total weight). A segmented, finger-like, rib layout is considered to physically implement the transitionudfrom the baseline airfoil to the target configurations. This article deals with an extensive estimation of the possible benefitsudrelated to the implementation of this device on that class of planes. Parametric aerodynamic analyses are performedudto evaluate the effects of different architectural layouts (in-plane geometry extension) and different shape envelopesud(namely, the rotation boundaries). Finally, the expected improvements in the global high-altitude long-endurance aircraftudperformance are evaluated, following the implementation of the referred morphing device.