Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator Wing
This article presents the application of aeroelastic tailoring in the design of wings for a flying demonstrator, as well as the validation of the design methodology with flight test results. The investigations were performed in the FLEXOP project (Flutter Free Flight Envelope Expansion for Economica...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Aerospace |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/9/10/535 |
| _version_ | 1827652579535880192 |
|---|---|
| author | Wolf R. Krüger Yasser M. Meddaikar Johannes K. S. Dillinger Jurij Sodja Roeland De Breuker |
| author_facet | Wolf R. Krüger Yasser M. Meddaikar Johannes K. S. Dillinger Jurij Sodja Roeland De Breuker |
| author_sort | Wolf R. Krüger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article presents the application of aeroelastic tailoring in the design of wings for a flying demonstrator, as well as the validation of the design methodology with flight test results. The investigations were performed in the FLEXOP project (Flutter Free Flight Envelope Expansion for Economical Performance Improvement), funded under the Horizon 2020 framework. This project aimed at the validation of methods and tools for active flutter control, as well as at the demonstration of the potential of passive load alleviation through composite tailoring. The technologies were to be demonstrated by the design, manufacturing and flight testing of an unmanned aerial vehicle of approximately 7 m wingspan. This article addresses the work towards the load alleviation goals. The design of the primary load-carrying wing-box in this task is performed using a joint DLR–TU Delft optimization strategy. Two sets of wings are designed in order to demonstrate the potential benefits of aeroelastic tailoring—first, a reference wing in which the laminates of the wing-box members are restricted to balanced and symmetric laminates; second, a tailored wing in which the laminates are allowed to be unbalanced, hence allowing for the shear–extension and bending–torsion couplings essential for aeroelastic tailoring. Both designs are numerically optimized, then manufactured and extensively tested to validate and improve the simulation models corresponding to the wing designs. Flight tests are performed, the results of which form the basis for the validation of the applied aeroelastic tailoring approach presented in the article. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:57:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a019dc5ae0645d1a500ff5090b64a0f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2226-4310 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:57:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerospace |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a019dc5ae0645d1a500ff5090b64a0f2023-11-23T22:17:56ZengMDPI AGAerospace2226-43102022-09-0191053510.3390/aerospace9100535Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator WingWolf R. Krüger0Yasser M. Meddaikar1Johannes K. S. Dillinger2Jurij Sodja3Roeland De Breuker4German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aeroelasticity, 37073 Göttingen, GermanyGerman Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aeroelasticity, 37073 Göttingen, GermanyGerman Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aeroelasticity, 37073 Göttingen, GermanyAerospace Structures and Computational Mechanics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The NetherlandsAerospace Structures and Computational Mechanics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The NetherlandsThis article presents the application of aeroelastic tailoring in the design of wings for a flying demonstrator, as well as the validation of the design methodology with flight test results. The investigations were performed in the FLEXOP project (Flutter Free Flight Envelope Expansion for Economical Performance Improvement), funded under the Horizon 2020 framework. This project aimed at the validation of methods and tools for active flutter control, as well as at the demonstration of the potential of passive load alleviation through composite tailoring. The technologies were to be demonstrated by the design, manufacturing and flight testing of an unmanned aerial vehicle of approximately 7 m wingspan. This article addresses the work towards the load alleviation goals. The design of the primary load-carrying wing-box in this task is performed using a joint DLR–TU Delft optimization strategy. Two sets of wings are designed in order to demonstrate the potential benefits of aeroelastic tailoring—first, a reference wing in which the laminates of the wing-box members are restricted to balanced and symmetric laminates; second, a tailored wing in which the laminates are allowed to be unbalanced, hence allowing for the shear–extension and bending–torsion couplings essential for aeroelastic tailoring. Both designs are numerically optimized, then manufactured and extensively tested to validate and improve the simulation models corresponding to the wing designs. Flight tests are performed, the results of which form the basis for the validation of the applied aeroelastic tailoring approach presented in the article.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/9/10/535aeroelastic tailoringload alleviationcomposite optimizationUAVFLEXOP |
| spellingShingle | Wolf R. Krüger Yasser M. Meddaikar Johannes K. S. Dillinger Jurij Sodja Roeland De Breuker Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator Wing Aerospace aeroelastic tailoring load alleviation composite optimization UAV FLEXOP |
| title | Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator Wing |
| title_full | Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator Wing |
| title_fullStr | Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator Wing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator Wing |
| title_short | Application of Aeroelastic Tailoring for Load Alleviation on a Flying Demonstrator Wing |
| title_sort | application of aeroelastic tailoring for load alleviation on a flying demonstrator wing |
| topic | aeroelastic tailoring load alleviation composite optimization UAV FLEXOP |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/9/10/535 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wolfrkruger applicationofaeroelastictailoringforloadalleviationonaflyingdemonstratorwing AT yassermmeddaikar applicationofaeroelastictailoringforloadalleviationonaflyingdemonstratorwing AT johannesksdillinger applicationofaeroelastictailoringforloadalleviationonaflyingdemonstratorwing AT jurijsodja applicationofaeroelastictailoringforloadalleviationonaflyingdemonstratorwing AT roelanddebreuker applicationofaeroelastictailoringforloadalleviationonaflyingdemonstratorwing |