Morphing airfoil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565787-B1
Application number	US-202017130560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2020
Priority date	Jan 6, 2020
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure defines a morphing airfoil having a dynamic flexible anisotropic skin system that is capable of carrying high level aerodynamic (or fluid) pressure loads over a structural surface. The structural surface can morph and bend in response to control inputs to change a lift force without separate movable control surfaces. The anisotropic skin is attached to underlying active and compliant structures. A control system causes the underlying support structure to move to a desired location which in turn causes the skin to bend and/or flex without exceeding a stress threshold and thus vary the lift profile along a span of the airfoil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A morphing structure comprising:
a plurality of actuator ribs having a leading edge and a movable trailing edge;
a plurality of compliant support ribs positioned between the actuator ribs; and
an anisotropic flexible skin connected to the actuator rib and the compliant support ribs to form a pressure side surface and a suction side surface of an airfoil.

2. The morphing structure of claim 1 , wherein each compliant support rib includes a pair of opposing arms extending forward proximate a leading edge of the airfoil.

3. The morphing structure of claim 2 , wherein each of the opposing arms include a forward facing lip.

4. The morphing structure of claim 3 , further comprising an attachment aperture formed in each of the lips.

5. The morphing structure of claim 2 , further comprising an enclosed element extending aft of the opposing arms.

6. The morphing structure of claim 5 , wherein the enclosed element is defined by a forward wall and an aft wall with an upper wall and lower wall extending between the forward and aft walls.

7. The morphing structure of claim 6 , further comprising a stringer channel connected to the upper wall and the lower wall of the enclosed element.

8. The morphing structure of claim 5 , further comprising a periodic structure formed in a square wave pattern extending aft of the enclosed element.

9. The morphing structure of claim 8 , wherein the periodic structure includes intermittent bottom walls connected to intermittent top walls with side walls therebetween.

10. The morphing structure of claim 9 , wherein the top walls and bottom walls are inwardly tapered toward the trailing edge.

11. The morphing structure of claim 9 , wherein each of the top walls and the bottom walls include a stringer slot connected thereto.

12. The morphing structure of claim 8 , further comprising a triangular shaped structure forming a trailing edge aft of the periodic structure.

13. The morphing structure of claim 12 , further comprising a stringer aperture extending through triangular structure.

14. The morphing structure of claim 1 , wherein the compliant support ribs keep the skin in a desired airfoil shape when morphing.

15. The morphing structure of claim 1 , wherein the compliant rib moves in response to movement of the actuator rib.

16. The morphing structure of claim 15 , wherein the movement of the compliant rib is caused by movement of the skin.

17. A compliant rib for a morphing airfoil comprising:
a pair of opposing arms extending forward proximate a leading edge of the airfoil terminating with forward facing lip;
an enclosed element extending aft of the opposing arms;
a periodic structure formed in a square wave pattern extending aft of the enclosed element; and
a triangular shaped structure having a stringer aperture forming a trailing edge aft of the periodic structure.

18. The compliant rib of claim 17 , wherein the periodic structure includes intermittent bottom walls connected to intermittent top walls with side walls.

19. The compliant rib of claim 17 further comprising a stringer channel connected to the top walls and the bottom walls of the periodic structure.

20. The compliant rib of claim 17 , further comprising a continuous flexible skin covering the compliant rib formed in a shape of an airfoil.

21. The compliant rib of claim 17 , wherein the pair of opposing arms clamp around a main spar.

22. A vehicle having a morphing wing comprising:
a plurality of actuator ribs having a leading edge and a movable trailing edge;
a plurality of compliant support ribs positioned between the actuator ribs;
an anisotropic flexible skin connected to the actuator rib and the compliant support ribs to form a continuous suction side surface of an airfoil; and
a control system operable for moving the actuator ribs.

23. The vehicle of claim 22 , wherein the compliant support ribs are movable by the flexible skin in response to the movement of the actuator ribs.

Assignees

• Us Gov Air Force
• Us Air Force

Inventors

• Neely Jared
• Joo James

Classifications

• B64C2003/445

  by changing shape according to the speed, e.g. by morphing · CPC title

• B64C3/48 Primary

  by relatively-movable parts of wing structures · CPC title

• B64C3/26

  Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels · CPC title

• B63B1/248

  Shape, hydrodynamic features, construction of the foil · CPC title

• F05D2250/90

  Variable geometry · CPC title