System of morphing control surface for aircraft wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077291-B2
Application number	US-202217992509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Nov 24, 2021
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A system includes at least one upper flexible skin intended to be fixed in the extension of an upper plane of the wing, a lower flexible skin intended to be movable in the extension of a lower plane of the wing and fixed along a trailing edge of the control surface, an actuator for generating a displacement of the lower flexible skin with respect to the lower plane. The displacement causes a curvature of the first, upper flexible skin and a curvature of the second, lower flexible skin having a concavity oriented in a same direction. The control surface system makes it possible to reduce the quantity of energy supplied by the actuator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A morphing control surface system for an aircraft wing, the wing comprising an upper plane and a lower plane, comprising:
an upper flexible skin configured to be fixed to the wing in an extension of the upper plane of the wing;
a lower flexible skin configured to be movable in an extension of the lower plane of the wing via a plane-to-plane link, the lower flexible skin being fixed to the upper flexible skin along a trailing edge of the control surface;
at least one actuator configured to generate a displacement of the lower flexible skin with respect to the lower plane of the wing, and
the displacement of the lower flexible skin configured to cause a curvature of the upper flexible skin and a curvature of the lower flexible skin, the curvature of the upper flexible skin and the curvature of the lower flexible skin having a concavity oriented in a same direction,
wherein the upper flexible skin has a greater thickness in a zone situated at the trailing edge and in a zone situated at the fixing of the upper flexible skin to the upper plane of the wing than in a central zone situated between the zone situated at the trailing edge and the zone situated at the fixing; and
wherein a thickness ratio between the zone situated at the trailing edge and the central zone is between 2 and 3, and a thickness ratio between the zone situated at the fixing and the central zone is between 4 and 5.

2. The morphing control surface system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator or actuators comprise at least one actuator axis arranged to be displaced longitudinally between the upper flexible skin and the lower flexible skin, the actuator axis or axes comprising an end fixed to an inner surface of the lower flexible skin.

3. The morphing control surface system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator or actuators are fixed onto an inner surface of the lower plane of the wing.

4. The morphing control surface system of claim 2 , wherein the actuator axis or axes are configured to each slide through an aperture of a rear spar of the wing.

5. The morphing control surface system of claim 4 , comprising at least one linear ball-type guide bushing configured to be mounted on the aperture or apertures through which the actuator axis or axes can slide.

6. The morphing control surface system of claim 2 , comprising at least one auxiliary axis parallel to the actuator axis or axes, the auxiliary axis or axes having a first end fixed to the rear spar and a free second end directed toward the trailing edge of the control surface system, the control surface system comprising at least one auxiliary bushing fixed onto the inner surface of the lower flexible skin, the free second end being able to slide in the auxiliary bushing.

7. The morphing control surface system of claim 1 , comprising an internal skeleton between the upper flexible skin and the lower flexible skin, the internal skeleton having a compressive and tensile strength on an axis substantially at right angles to the upper flexible skin or the lower flexible skin greater than a shear strength of the internal skeleton on an axis substantially parallel to the upper flexible skin or the lower flexible skin.

8. An aircraft, comprising at least one control surface system of claim 1 equipping each wing of the aircraft.

9. A morphing control surface system for an aircraft wing, the wing comprising an upper plane and a lower plane, comprising:
an upper flexible skin configured to be fixed to the wing in an extension of the upper plane of the wing;
a lower flexible skin configured to be movable in an extension of the lower plane of the wing via a plane-to-plane link, the lower flexible skin being fixed to the upper flexible skin along a trailing edge of the control surface;
at least one actuator configured to generate a displacement of the lower flexible skin with respect to the lower plane of the wing, and
the displacement of the lower flexible skin configured to cause a curvature of the upper flexible skin and a curvature of the lower flexible skin, the curvature of the upper flexible skin and the curvature of the lower flexible skin having a concavity oriented in a same direction;
wherein the lower flexible skin has a greater thickness in a zone situated at the trailing edge and in a zone situated at the plane-to-plane link between the lower flexible skin and the lower plane of the wing than in a central zone situated between the zone situated at the trailing edge and the zone situated at the plane-to-plane link; and
wherein a thickness ratio between the zone situated at the trailing edge and the central zone is between 2 and 3, and a thickness ratio between the zone situated at the plane-to-plane link and the central zone is between 4 and 5.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Calatayud Cristobal
• Trarieux Benjamin
• Albert Brice

Classifications

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• B64C2003/445

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

• B64C9/18

  by single flaps · CPC title

• B64C3/26

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

• B64C3/48

  by relatively-movable parts of wing structures · CPC title