MAWS (Modelling of Adaptive Wing Structures)
Dates | 01 January 2012 - 31 July 2014 |
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Funder | Clean Sky |
Contact person | Prof. Jonathan Cooper |
The primary aim of the MAWS project is to develop an inverse design technique to determine the internal stiffness distribution in the wing-tip in order to meet an in-flight defined aerodynamic shape as well as providing inherent gust loads alleviation.
Objectives
Development of a Reduced Order Model (ROM) inverse approach to determine the stiffness requirements of aircraft wings, and hence the internal structure, in order to meet defined aerodynamic shapes (e.g. giving maximum L/D ratio) including wash-in, wash-out and neutral aerodynamic lift.
- Definition of an adaptive spar/rib concept to enable the variation in stiffness requirements to be met;
- Evaluation of the selective shape capability of the concept and optimisation of the design for a range of flight conditions; and
- Definition of the limitations of the concept and ROM approach, including power requirements.
Scope
Development of an aerodynamic shape optimisation approach based upon:
- Lamar’s method applicable for any point in the flight envelope;
- Development of beam FE model and aerodynamic panels for a Regional TurboJet wing;
- Development of an optimisation approach to obtain the minimum mass wing that achieves the required structural deflections at any point on the flight envelope subject to various structural constraints;
- Investigation into three different approaches of adaptive stiffness morphing: rotating spars, moving spars and moving spar caps to achieve required changes in bending and torsional stiffness along with moving the leading edge and trailing edge shape.
- Development of optimisation approach to determined required amount of morphing needed to achieve required aerodynamic shape throughout the flight envelope;
- Demonstration of approach on Regional TurboJet wing model; and
- Evaluation of the effects of uncertainty on the morphing optimisation process using Polynomial Chaos Expansion and Bayesian methods.
UoB project team
Principal Investigator:
- Prof. Jonathan Cooper
Project Administrator:
- Ms Sarah Hassall
MAWS publications
J. Yang, R.N. Nangia, J.E. Cooper, J.A. Simpson “Optimisation of Morphing Wings for Improved Environmental Performance” Greener Aviation 2014 Conference. Brussels 2014.
J. Yang , J.E. Cooper, R.K. Nangia, J.C. Simpson, “Optimization Framework for Design of Morphing Wings” AIAA Aviation Conference July 2014.
J. Yang, J. E. Cooper, R.K. Nangia, “Morphing Wing Designs for Enhancing Aircraft Performance” Royal Aeronautical Society Applied Aerodynamics Conference. July 2014.