Airfoil of an aerodynamic surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964758-B2
Application number	US-202217856567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2022
Priority date	Jul 5, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An airfoil of an aerodynamic surface including: a control surface having an upper surface and a lower surface, and an actuator configured to elevate or lower the control surface, wherein at least a portion of one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the control surface is auxetic with a negative Poisson ratio, and the other of the upper surface and the lower surface of the control surface includes a material with a higher Poisson ratio.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airfoil of an aerodynamic surface, the airfoil comprising:
a control surface comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, and
a primary actuator assembly configured to elevate or lower the control surface;
wherein at least a first portion of one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the control surface is auxetic with a negative Poisson ratio, and at least a second portion of the other of the upper surface and the lower surface of the control surface comprises a material with a Poisson ratio higher than the Poisson ratio of the first portion.

2. The airfoil according to claim 1 , wherein the airfoil further comprises:
a torsion box including an upper skin, a lower skin, a rear spar and a front spar,
wherein the control surface is aft of said rear spar and the first portion extends to the rear spar such that said first portion bridges:
the upper skin of the torsion box and the upper surface of the control surface; or
the lower skin of the torsion box and the lower surface of the control surface.

3. The airfoil according to claim 2 , wherein the primary actuator comprises a first swiveling rod including a first end secured to the rear spar or the front spar by a first rotary junction and a second end of the first swiveling rod is secured by a second rotary junction to an inner face of the control surface adjacent to a surface comprising the first portion.

4. The airfoil according to claim 3 , wherein the primary actuator comprises a second swiveling rod including a first end secured to the rear spar or the front spar by a first rotary junction adjacent the rotary junction of the first swiveling rod and the second swiveling rod includes a second end secured by a second rotary junction to an inner face of the control surface adjacent the surface opposite to the surface comprising the first portion.

5. The airfoil according to claim 1 , wherein the airfoil further comprises:
a torsion box comprising an upper skin, a lower skin, a rear spar and a front spar,
wherein the control surface is forward of said front spar and the first portion extends to the front spar such that said first portion bridges:
the upper skin of the torsion box and the upper surface of the control surface; or
the lower skin of the torsion box and the lower surface of the control surface.

6. The airfoil according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises a flexible grid structure covered by a flexible skin.

7. The airfoil according to claim 6 , wherein the flexible grid structure comprises rigid segments joined together by flexible junctions or by rotatable joints intersections of the rigid segments.

8. The airfoil according to claim 1 , wherein the primary actuator assembly comprises a first actuator configured to exert a force on the control surface along a spanwise direction of the airfoil.

9. The airfoil according to claim 8 , wherein the first actuator is embedded within the first portion and disposed along a chordwise direction of the airfoil.

10. The airfoil according to claim 9 , wherein the primary actuator comprises a second actuator embedded within the second portion and disposed along the chordwise direction.

11. The airfoil according to claim 1 , wherein the primary actuator comprises a plate arranged chordwise and attached to the first portion and to the second portion, wherein the plate is adapted to be actuated by a force in a spanwise direction of the airfoil, wherein the force displaces the plate such that the plate transfers a compression load or a traction load to the first portion and the second portion.

12. The airfoil according to claim 1 , wherein the control surface further comprises at the trailing edge a control tab and a secondary actuator configured to elevate or lower the control tab.

13. The airfoil according to claim 1 , wherein the control surface comprises cellular elements housed between the upper surface and the lower surface,
wherein the primary actuator is configured to selectively stretch or compress the cellular elements.

14. An aerodynamic surface comprising the airfoil according to claim 1 .

15. The aerodynamic surface according to claim 14 , wherein the first portion is a first continuous strip with a negative Poisson ratio extending spanwise along the control surface, and the second portion is a second continuous strip comprising a material with a Poisson ratio higher than the Poisson ratio of the first continuous strip.

16. The aerodynamic surface according to claim 15 , further comprising an actuating assembly disposed spanwise and configured to apply a force in the spanwise direction to a deform strip comprising a material with negative Poisson ratio.

17. The aerodynamic surface of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is a continuous strip with alternating portions of material with negative Poisson ratio and higher Poisson ratio spanwise.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Slu

Inventors

• Jara Rodelgo Álvaro
• Parra Rubio Alfonso
• Vázquez Sánchez Pablo
• Martino González Esteban

Classifications

• B64C3/48 Primary

  by relatively-movable parts of wing structures · CPC title

• B64C3/46

  by inflatable elements · CPC title

• B64C3/50

  by leading or trailing edge flaps · CPC title

• B64C3/38 Primary

  Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof · CPC title

• B64C9/16 Primary

  at the rear of the wing · CPC title