Session: AM9.1 - Materials for (strategic sectors) Aerospace and Defense applications

Paper Number: 189613

189613 - Numerical Investigation of a Mechanical Metamaterial Based Continuous Camber and Twist Morphing Wing 

Optimizing aerodynamic efficiency in modern aviation, especially for small-scale aircraft, faces limitations due to discrete, hinged control surfaces. These mechanisms consist of gaps and discontinuities, which lead to drag and loss in efficiency of the flight. This work focuses on the study of a dual-morphing wing design that replaces the hinged surfaces with a continuous deformation mechanism. The design uses camber morphing for pitch control and twist morphing for roll control by employing variable-stiffness lattice metamaterials. The internal rib structure is composed of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) for load-bearing and actuation, while a more flexible Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) skin is used for a smooth aerodynamic surface.

ANSYS-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and structural simulations show that the addition of variable-stiffness lattice structures enhanced the airfoil’s flexibility, enabling continuous, seamless deformation in the morphing section of the airfoil. These continuous transitions increased the lift-to-drag (L/D) ratio from 11.3 to 33.4 at an angle of attack of (for an airspeed of 12 m/s), almost tripling the aerodynamic efficiency. The proposed design attempts to tackle typical morphing concepts, which are restricted to single-axis changes and mostly rely on complicated internal mechanisms that increase weight and complexity. Preliminary structural and CFD studies confirm enhanced efficiency and simplified morphing wings for scalable UAVs.

Presenting Author: Pratheek Bandigedi National Institute of Technology Karnataka

Presenting Author Biography: Pratheek Bandigedi is an undergraduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal. His academic focus is on the development and analysis of morphing structures for aerospace applications. He is particularly interested in applying computational mechanics, including FEA and CFD, to better understand and solve complex engineering challenges