Adaptive airfoils

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377196-B2
Application number	US-202016787659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2020
Priority date	Feb 11, 2020
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

Adaptive airfoils are disclosed. A disclosed example airfoil for use with a vehicle includes first and second skins at least partially defining an exterior of a vehicle, where the first skin includes first and second pivots, and where the second skin includes third and fourth pivots, a first arm extending between the first and third pivots, where the first arm is rotatable about the first and third pivots, a second arm extending between the second and fourth pivots, where the second arm is rotatable about the second and fourth pivots, and a closeout including fifth and sixth pivots rotatably coupled to the first and second skins, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airfoil for use with a vehicle, the airfoil comprising:
first and second skins at least partially defining an exterior of the vehicle, the first skin including first and second pivots, the second skin including third and fourth pivots;
a first arm extending between the first and third pivots, the first arm rotatable about the first and third pivots;
a second arm extending between the second and fourth pivots, the second arm rotatable about the second and fourth pivots;
a closeout including fifth and sixth pivots rotatably coupled to the first and second skins, respectively;
a first movement line operatively coupled to the first pivot; and
a second movement line operatively coupled to the third pivot, wherein the first and second arms are c-shaped and include respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.

2. The airfoil as defined in claim 1 , further including a nose block operatively coupled to the first and second skins, the nose block to be rotatable about a spar.

3. The airfoil as defined in claim 1 , wherein the closeout includes a wedge that converges along a direction away from the fifth and sixth pivots.

4. The airfoil as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first skin defines an upper surface of the airfoil, and wherein the second skin defines a lower surface of the airfoil.

5. The airfoil as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first arm is at a first distance to the closeout and the second arm is at a second distance to the closeout greater than the first distance, and wherein the first arm has a first length shorter than a second length of the second arm.

6. The airfoil as defined in claim 1 , wherein the fifth and sixth pivots are rotationally coupled to distal ends of the first and second skins, respectively.

7. The airfoil as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second skins are flexible such that movement of at least one of the first or second arms causes at least one of the first or second skins to exhibit a curved surface.

8. The airfoil as defined in claim 7 , wherein the first and second skins include at least one of carbon fiber or fabric.

9. A method of producing an adaptive airfoil for use with a vehicle, the method comprising:
placing a first arm between a first pivot of a first skin and a second pivot of a second skin, the first arm rotatable about the first and second pivots, the first and second skins to at least partially define an exterior of the vehicle;
placing a second arm between a third pivot of the first skin and a fourth pivot of the second skin, the second arm rotatable about the third and fourth pivots;
rotatably coupling a closeout to the first and second skins at fifth and sixth pivots, respectively, of the closeout, wherein the closeout is rotatable about the fifth and sixth pivots;
operatively coupling a first movement line to the first pivot; and
operatively coupling a second movement line to the second pivot, wherein the first and second arms are c-shaped and include respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 , further including operatively coupling an actuator to at least one of the first or second arms.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , further including operatively coupling at least one movement line between the actuator and the at least one of the first or second arms.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the first movement line is placed to be guided by a first corner of the first arm and the second movement line is to be guided by a second corner of the first arm.

13. The method as defined in claim 10 , further including operatively coupling the first and second movement lines to the actuator and the closeout.

14. The method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the first arm is positioned at a shorter distance to the closeout than the second arm, and wherein the first arm includes a first length shorter than a second length of the second arm.

15. The method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the fifth and sixth pivots are coupled to distal ends of the first and second skins, respectively.

16. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause a processor to at least:
determine a flight condition of a vehicle;
calculate an adjustment of an airfoil of the vehicle based on flight input and the determined flight condition; and
direct an actuator to adjust a shape of the airfoil based on the calculated adjustment, wherein the shape of the airfoil is adjusted by the actuator moving at least one arm of a plurality of arms extending between first and second pivots of first and second skins, respectively, of the airfoil, wherein a first movement line is operatively coupled to the first pivot; and wherein a second movement line operatively coupled to the second pivot, wherein the at least one arm of the arms is c-shaped and includes respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to analyze flight input to determine a desired flight state of the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to calculate the adjustment of the airfoil based on the desired flight state of the vehicle.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 16 , wherein the vehicle includes an aircraft, and wherein the flight condition includes a speed, an attitude and an altitude of the aircraft.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 16 , wherein the actuator is caused to adjust the shape of the airfoil by causing flexure of at least one of the first or second skins.

21. A method of adjusting a shape of an airfoil of an aircraft, the method comprising:
determining an adjustment of the airfoil; and
moving, based on the determined adjustment, at least one of a plurality of arms extending between a first pivot of a first skin of the airfoil and a second pivot of a second skin of the airfoil, wherein a first movement line is operatively coupled to the first pivot;
wherein a second movement line is operatively coupled to the second pivot, and wherein the at least one of the arms is c-shaped and includes respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.

22. The method as defined in claim 21 , wherein moving the at least one of the arms includes causing a flexure of at least one of the first or second skins.

23. The method as defined in claim 21 , further including determining a flight condition of the aircraft, and wherein determining the adjustment of the airfoil is based on the flight condition.

24. The method as defined in claim 23 , wherein determining the adjustment of the airfoil is further based on a flight input.

25. The method as defined in claim 21 , wherein moving the at least one of the arms includes moving at least one of the first or second movement lines to pivot the at least one of the arms.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Shields Patrick J
• Nevinsky Michael D

Classifications

• B64C3/48 Primary

  by relatively-movable parts of wing structures · CPC title

• B64C3/38

  Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof · CPC title

• B64C3/52

  Warping · CPC title

• B64C13/24

  Transmitting means · CPC title

• B64C3/14 Primary

  Aerofoil profile · CPC title