Structural and Systems Modelling of a Fluid-driven Morphing Winglet Trailing Edge

Abstract

This paper presents structural and systems modeling of a control surface comprising fluid actuated morphing unit structures (FAMoUS). This control surface is intended to be used as a morphing winglet trailing edge for the primary purpose of load alleviation, and one key challenge in this region is the small installation space given the thin profile. The FAMoUS concept is based on reinforced elastomeric unit structures or "cells" that can elongate under pressurization, with either gas or hydraulic fluid. In this work, a control surface with uniform cross-section based on the thin winglet profile and hydraulic pressurization is investigated. Finite element analyses with three-dimensional structural and hydrostatic fluid elements are used to model the structural behavior and provide input for modeling and design of the systems architecture. These early results show that a thin control surface with FAMoUS is capable of carrying external loads and deflecting with sufficient magnitude though careful material design is also needed to ensure a balance between actuation power, material stress, stiffness, and deflection capability. Detailed design for manufacture and the comparison with pneumatic-based architectures is needed in future work, together with optimization of the various design parameters.