Modeling and Design Exploration of a Tensegrity-based Twisting Wing

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Nguyen Pham ◽  
Edwin A. Peraza Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Twist Angle ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Design Exploration ◽  
Topological Parameters ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Dynamics Analyses ◽  
Drag Ratio ◽  
Control Surfaces

Abstract This paper presents a modeling and design exploration study of a novel twisting wing whose motion is enabled by a tensegrity mechanism. The aerodynamic characteristics of the twisting wing, which does not require control surfaces to modulate its shape, are compared with those of a conventional wing having a control surface. It is shown via computational fluid dynamics analyses that the twisting wing displays higher lift-to-drag ratio than the conventional wing and hence the twisting wing is more aerodynamically efficient. Subsequently, the torsional tensegrity mechanism, composed of multiple tensegrity cylindrical cells forming a column along the wingspan, is described. A finite element model of the wing incorporating this mechanism is developed. Using the model, a design of experiments study of the influence of the topological parameters of the torsional tensegrity mechanism on the twist angle, mass, and stress in the different components of the wing is performed. A wingspan of 142.24 cm and a chord length of 25.31 cm are assumed, corresponding to those of the Carl Goldberg Falcon 56 Mk II R/C unmanned aerial vehicle. For a wing of such dimensions, the maximum achievable twist angle from root to tip per unit mass without any component exceeding their allowable stress is 5.93°/kg, which is sufficiently large to allow for effective modulation of the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing. The torsional tensegrity mechanism for this design consists of eight cylindrical cells and four sets of actuator wires along the circumference of each cell.

AERODYNAMIC OF UITM'S BLENDED-WING-BODY UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE BASELINE-II EQUIPPED WITH ONE CENTRAL VERTICAL RUDDER

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wirachman Wisnoe ◽  
Rizal E.M. Nasir ◽  
Ramzyzan Ramly ◽  
Wahyu Kuntjoro ◽  
Firdaus Muhammad
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Wind Tunnel Experiments ◽  
Aerodynamic Parameter ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Blended Wing Body ◽  
Lift And Drag

In this paper, a study of aerodynamic characteristics of UiTM's Blended-Wing-Body Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (BWB-UAV) Baseline-II in terms of side force, drag force and yawing moment coefficients are presented through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. A vertical rudder is added to the aircraft at the rear centre part of the fuselage as yawing control surface. The study consists of varying the side slip angles for various rudder deflection angles and to plot the results for each aerodynamic parameter. The comparison with other yawing control surface for the same aircraft obtained previously are also presented. For validation purpose, the lift and drag coefficients are compared with the results obtained from wind tunnel experiments. 

scholarly journals Airfoil Selection Procedure, Wind Tunnel Experimentation and Implementation of 6DOF Modeling on a Flying Wing Micro Aerial Vehicle

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taimur Ali Shams ◽  
Syed Irtiza Ali Shah ◽  
Ali Javed ◽  
Syed Hossein Raza Hamdani
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Selection Procedure ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Flight Tests ◽  
Micro Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
P Factor ◽  
Control Surfaces

Airfoil selection procedure, wind tunnel testing and an implementation of 6-DOF model on flying wing micro aerial vehicle (FWMAV) has been proposed in this research. The selection procedure of airfoil has been developed by considering parameters related to aerodynamic efficiency and flight stability. Airfoil aerodynamic parameters have been calculated using a potential flow solver for ten candidate airfoils. Eppler-387 proved to be the most efficient reflexed airfoil and therefore was selected for fabrication and further flight testing of vehicle. Elevon control surfaces have been designed and evaluated for longitudinal and lateral control. The vehicle was fabricated using hot wire machine with EPP styrofoam of density 50 Kg/ m 3 . Static aerodynamic coefficients were evaluated using wind tunnel tests conducted at cruise velocity of 20 m/s for varying angles of attack. Rate derivatives and elevon control derivatives have also been calculated. Equations of motion for FWMAV have been written in a body axis system yielding a 6-DOF model. It was found during flight tests that vehicle conducted coordinated turns with no appreciable adverse yaw. Since FWMAV was not designed with a vertical stabilizer and rudder control surface, directional stability was therefore augmented through winglets and high wing leading edge sweep. Major problems encountered during flight tests were related to left rolling tendency. The left roll tendency was found inherent to clockwise rotating propeller as ‘P’ factor, gyroscopic precession, torque effect and spiraling slipstream. To achieve successful flights, many actions were required including removal of excessive play from elevon control rods, active actuation of control surfaces, enhanced launch speed during take off, and increased throttle control during initial phase of flight. FWMAV flew many successful stable flights in which intended mission profile was accomplished, thereby validating the proposed airfoil selection procedure, modeling technique and proposed design.

scholarly journals Wind Tunnel Tests of the Tu-154M Aircraft Aerodynamic Characteristics

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 113-120
Author(s):  
Andrzej Krzysiak
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Rolling Moment ◽  
Wind Tunnel Tests ◽  
Aircraft Model ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
The Military ◽  
Control Surfaces

Abstract Determination of possible manoeuvres to be performed by the aircraft requires knowledge of its aerodynamic characteristics including, in particular, characteristics of the aircraft at configuration with deflected control surfaces. In this article, the wind tunnel tests results of the model of passenger Tu-154M aircraft manufactured at the scale 1:40 are presented. The model was designed and manufactured by the Military University of Technology based on the Tu-154M aircraft geometry obtained by full-scale object scanning. The model mapped all aircraft control surfaces, along with the gaps between these surfaces and the main wing part. During the tests all the model’s control surface like, flaps, ailerons, spoilers, slots, rudder, elevator and tail plane were deflected at the same deflection angles range as they are used in the full scale aircraft. The aerodynamic characteristics of the tested Tu-154M aircraft model were measured by the 6-component internal balance. Based on the obtained measurements the aircraft model aerodynamic coefficients were calculated. In the article the basic aerodynamic characteristics of the tested Tu-154M aircraft model i.e. lift, drag coefficients as well as pitching, yawing and rolling moment coefficients versus model angles of attack and sideslip angles were presented. The tests were performed in the Institute of Aviation low speed wind tunnels T-1 of the 1.5 m diameter test section at the undisturbed velocity, V∞ = 40 m/s.

Design Exploration of a Tensegrity-Based Twisting Wing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Kim Pham ◽  
Edwin A. Peraza Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Aerodynamic Drag ◽  
Twist Angle ◽  
Air Travel ◽  
Topological Parameters ◽  
Separate Control ◽  
Continuous Surface ◽  
Internal Mechanism ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Structural Mass ◽  
Control Surfaces

Abstract In the modern days of air travel, more fuel-efficient aircraft is desired to meet the demanding requirements of the long-haul market. This paper explores the feasibility of using a tensegrity column topology as the means for the internal mechanism of a twisting wing, which can be potentially applied to more fuel-efficient aircraft. This new morphing wing design removes the need for separate control surfaces such as ailerons and allow the wing to have a continuous surface which in turn will reduce aerodynamic drag and improve the overall performance. Furthermore, the tensegrity-based design can potentially reduce the weight of the wing by replacing conventional metal-based support structures with a lightweight tensegrity design. A design-of-experiments (DOE) study on the influence of the topological parameters of the torsional tensegrity mechanism on the achievable twist angle, structural mass, and the stresses in the different wing components is performed. It is found that for a wing with a span and chord length of 2 m, the maximum achievable twist angle from root to tip per unit mass, without any component exceeding their maximum allowable stress value, is 0.0659°/kg. The tensegrity column mechanism for this design consists of four torsional cells (equivalent to five ribs) and ten sets of actuating wires along the circumference of the column sections.

scholarly journals A short bibliographic report on Small UAV design

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-167
Author(s):  
Laura STANESCU ◽  
Constantin Alexandru MATEI
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cell ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Flight Control ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Structural Deformation ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Vibrational Modes ◽  
Small Uav ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Control Surfaces

This article presents a detailed example for the design of all aspects of a prototype unmanned aerial vehicle, also dealing with the use of multi-segmented flight control surfaces of these UAV’s wings. Adding multiple segments to the UAV wings creates smaller control surfaces. By introducing smaller control surfaces, a wing can make refined adjustments to UAV’s performance while airborne. This unique technique brings several benefits, as follows: applying localized correcting forces to the UAV reduces structural deformation, minimizes the drag action due to the control surface actuation, suppresses and controls the structural resonance due to lift forces and vibrational modes, reduces the weight of the structure, and improves the endurance of flight by using the solar cell. This study is a part of a more comprehensive work for my Ph.D. thesis which proposes the construction of a UAV prototype equipped with a solar propulsion system. This system meets the requirements of missions specific to the Ministry of Internal Affairs: both the autonomy capabilities and the performance of the communication systems on and off the ground.

Investigation on Aerodynamic Configuration of Monitoring Long Endurance UAV

2014 ◽  
Vol 509 ◽  
pp. 80-85
Author(s):  
Dong Li Ma ◽  
Yu Hang Qiao ◽  
Mu Qing Yang
Keyword(s):  
Design Method ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Twist Angle ◽  
Weather Condition ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Induced Drag ◽  
Bad Weather ◽  
Long Endurance ◽  
Drag Ratio ◽  
Aerodynamic Configuration

In recent years, monitoring long endurance UAV is widely used in civil fields such as earthquake relief, it has certain particularities in comparison with conventional UAV; this paper studied and summarized its key technologies in aerodynamic configuration. The research of aerodynamic configuration is based on a general scheme, research indicates that: (1) monitoring long endurance UAV has the characteristics of low-Reynolds number, so laminar airfoil is needed to increase lift-drag ratio; induced drag can be reduced by optimizing wing twist angle; (2) subsection control surface and new design method on flight-quality would improve control reliability and flight quality, which are indispensable for the UAV to guarantee safety in bad weather condition; (3) take-off/landing/taxiing performance should be considered in order to improve the runway adaptability of the UAV.

Studies on Galloping of Iced Conductor Based on Tower-Line Coupling System – Aerodynamic Loads

2012 ◽  
Vol 182-183 ◽  
pp. 1630-1633
Author(s):  
Hao Jun Hu ◽  
Yuan Han Wang ◽  
Zi Dong Hu
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Finite Element Model ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Explicit Integration ◽  
Computing Platform ◽  
Coupling System ◽  
Line Coupling

Based on the second development at the ANSYS computing platform, finite element model of a Tower-Line Coupling system was established. The computational fluid dynamics module (CFX) was used for the numerical simulation of the aerodynamic characteristics of iced conductor. On the basis of the Kaimal spectrum, fast Fourier transform was introduced to prepare the wind speed simulation program WVFS with spatial correlation into consideration, thus generating aerodynamic coefficients of iced conductor at different wind attack angles as well as wind speed time series at tower-line nodes. According to the finite element model of continuous multi-conductors and the aerodynamic force- wind attack angle curve, the explicit integration is applied for numerical solution of galloping of iced conductor.

Aerodynamic study of single corrugated variable-camber morphing aerofoil concept

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
K. Dhileep ◽  
D. Kumar ◽  
P.N. Gautham Vigneswar ◽  
P. Soni ◽  
S. Ghosh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Finite Volume ◽  
Interpolation Method ◽  
Beam Theory ◽  
Small Deformation ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Aerodynamic Efficiency ◽  
Finite Element Software ◽  
Drag Ratio ◽  
Lift To Drag Ratio

Abstract Camber morphing is an effective way to control the lift generated by any aerofoil and potentially improve the range (as measured by the lift-to-drag ratio) and endurance (as measured by $C_l^{3/2}/C_d$ ). This can be especially useful for fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) undergoing different flying manoeuvres and flight phases. This work investigates the aerodynamic characteristics of the NACA0012 aerofoil morphed using a Single Corrugated Variable-Camber (SCVC) morphing approach. Structural analysis and morphed shapes are obtained based on small-deformation beam theory using chain calculations and validated using finite-element software. The aerofoil is then reconstructed from the camber line using a Radial Basis Function (RBF)-based interpolation method (J.H.S. Fincham and M.I. Friswell, “Aerodynamic optimisation of a camber morphing aerofoil,” Aerosp. Sci. Technol., 2015). The aerodynamic analysis is done by employing two different finite-volume solvers (OpenFOAM and ANSYS-Fluent) and a panel method code (XFoil). Results reveal that the aerodynamic coefficients predicted by the two finite-volume solvers using a fully turbulent flow assumption are similar but differ from those predicted by XFoil. The aerodynamic efficiency and endurance factor of morphed aerofoils indicate that morphing is beneficial at moderate to high lift requirements. Further, the optimal morphing angle increases with an increase in the required lift. Finally, it is observed for a fixed angle-of-attack that an optimum morphing angle exists for which the aerodynamic efficiency becomes maximum.

scholarly journals Aerodynamic Characteristics of Tube-Launched Tandem Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

2018 ◽  
Vol 1005 ◽  
pp. 012015
Author(s):  
Nurhayyan H. Rosid ◽  
E. Irsyad Lukman ◽  
M. Ahmad Fadlillah ◽  
M. Agoes Moelyadi
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

scholarly journals Development of a Technique and Method of Testing Aircraft Models with Turboprop Engine Simulators in a Small-scale Wind Tunnel - Results of Tests

10.14311/530 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Petrov ◽  
Y. G. Stepanov ◽  
M. V. Shmakov
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Light Transport ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Aircraft Model ◽  
Turboprop Engine ◽  
Control Surfaces

This report presents the results of experimental investigations into the interaction between the propellers (Ps) and the airframe of a twin-engine, twin-boom light transport aircraft with a Π-shaped tail. An analysis was performed of the forces and moments acting on the aircraft with rotating Ps. The main features of the methodology for windtunnel testing of an aircraft model with running Ps in TsAGI’s T-102 wind tunnel are outlined.The effect of 6-blade Ps slipstreams on the longitudinal and lateral aerodynamic characteristics as well as the effectiveness of the control surfaces was studied on the aircraft model in cruise and takeoff/landing configurations. The tests were conducted at flow velocities of V∞ = 20 to 50 m/s in the ranges of angles of attack α =  -6 to 20 deg, sideslip angles of β = -16 to 16 deg and blade loading coefficient of B 0 to 2.8. For the aircraft of unusual layout studied, an increase in blowing intensity is shown to result in decreasing longitudinal static stability and significant asymmetry of the directional stability characteristics associated with the interaction between the Ps slipstreams of the same (left-hand) rotation and the empennage.

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