A Piezo-Actuated Slot Lip for active High Lift

Kurzfassung

A concept of a piezo-actuated slot lip, applicable to airfoils with active high lift and flow control, is presented in this article. In this manner the mass flow of blown out compressed air in a high lift configuration has to be controlled. The actuation device itself opens, closes and oscillates (pulses) the blow out slot while demanding requirements, concerning size, airfoil, loads and voltage, have to be met. A piezo ceramic d33-stack actuator, operating at low voltage levels is being elaborated as an adequate actuation system. The actuator is embedded in a metal substrate as a bending actuator for basic experiments in a water tunnel. Thereby the compact architecture, its robustness, the feasible high strain rates at low voltages and the good controllability play key roles for success. Further development steps are the qualification for water environment and the integration in a larger laminate structure, as a combined sensor-actuator system. The article reports the development process from design to prototype fabrication and the experiments of the first mechanical functional demonstrator. A detailed description of the overall design concept for the aspired piezo-actuated slot lip is elucidated. Moreover, current experimental results which have been obtained in a test stand characterizing the actuation capabilities are presented and discussed. Conclusions with an outlook complete the overview.