An experimental device for active control of wing flexibility and bending

Abstract

The application relates to the field of aero vehicle aerodynamic mechanism integrated design, and particularly relates to a wing flexible variable-camber active control experimental device, which comprises a support beam arranged in a first chord length range of a wing and used for supporting a flexible skin, a flexible skin covered on the surface of the support beam to form the outer surface of the wing, wherein the flexible skin has a movable end which can move along the front edge and the trailing edge of the wing; and an actuating mechanism fixed with the support beam in the wing and connected with the movable end of the flexible skin, wherein the actuating mechanism drives the movable end of the flexible skin to move along the front edge and the trailing edge of the wing, so that the trailing edge of the wing is deformed to be upwardly or downwardly deviated in a second chord length range, and the second chord length range is the range of the chord length of the wing except the first chord length range; the application can provide equipment support for the experimental simulation of the wing flexible variable-camber control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of integrated design of aerodynamic mechanisms for aircraft, and specifically to an experimental device for active control of flexible wing bending. Background Technology

[0002] Advances in aircraft materials technology, manufacturing technology, controllers, and hardware design have enabled aircraft design concepts to evolve towards greater flexibility and efficiency. Compared to rigid wings, flexible wings allow aircraft to achieve more agile handling and superior gliding performance. The concept of flexible wings was proposed as early as the early days of aviation. A similar design was successfully applied in the Wright brothers' first heavier-than-air aircraft, where lateral stability was achieved through the torsional warping of the wing. This was achievable in aircraft at that time because this lightweight fuselage design did not place high demands on aircraft strength and wing stiffness; the wing skin was a textile-covered structure. With the increase in speed and load during flight, modern aircraft wings require higher standards to ensure structural strength and safety during flight.

[0003] However, rigid wings optimized for cruise conditions suffer performance losses under other flight conditions (such as takeoff and landing). Compared to rigid wings, flexible camber active control technology offers several advantages in wing performance. By adjusting the camber of each spanwise section and ensuring compliance, it achieves a more rational pressure distribution than rigid wings, thereby reducing induced drag. It can also adjust the pressure distribution to transfer lift from the outer wing to the inner wing, reducing wing root moment and structural weight. Compared to movable control surfaces like ailerons and flaps, the aerodynamic shape of flexible camber is continuous, avoiding abrupt changes and unnecessary hydrodynamic phenomena. The smooth, continuous, sealed shape also significantly reduces noise. The flexible wing's shape is adjustable throughout its entire span, making the entire wing a control surface, which improves both control efficiency and flight safety. The spanwise camber flexible camber device can also be used to change the camber of the wingtips, creating a function similar to a winglet structure, thereby controlling spanwise flow and wingtip vortices.

[0004] Flexible flex control of wings can be applied to the leading and trailing edges of wings. Despite its promising application prospects, the research will inevitably focus on the performance of skin materials, processing technology, and the feasibility of flexible flex control mechanisms due to the high level of difficulty in the manufacturing process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides an experimental device for active control of flexible wing bending. Through the integrated design of the aircraft wing aerodynamic mechanism, it can realize two deformations of the wing trailing edge: upward and downward deflection, which solves the technical problem that the flexible wing bending control of the prior art requires experimental simulation.

[0006] This invention provides an experimental device for active control of flexible wing bending, comprising a support beam arranged within the first chord length of the wing to support a flexible skin; a flexible skin covering the surface of the support beam to form the outer surface of the wing, the flexible skin having a movable end capable of moving along the leading and trailing edges of the wing; and an actuation mechanism located inside the wing and fixed to the support beam, connected to the movable end of the flexible skin, the actuation mechanism driving the movable end of the flexible skin to move along the leading and trailing edges of the wing, causing the trailing edge of the wing to deflect upwards and downwards within a second chord length range, the second chord length range being the range of the wing chord length excluding the first chord length range.

[0007] Preferably, the support beam is made of aluminum alloy and is composed of multiple crossbeam components connected together. The upper crossbeam component includes an upper cover plate, and the lower crossbeam component includes a lower cover plate. The upper and lower cover plates are arranged within a first chord length range, which is 60% of the chord length range.

[0008] Preferably, the actuation mechanism consists of a rotary actuator, a crank connecting rod, and a slider. The rotary actuator is located inside the wing and fixed to the lower cover plate. The rotary actuator is connected to the crank connecting rod, which is connected to the slider. The slider is connected to the movable end of the flexible skin. The lower cover plate is provided with a groove along the direction of the wing's leading and trailing edges. The movable end of the flexible skin is embedded in the groove. When the rotary actuator rotates, it drives the crank connecting rod, causing the slider to move the movable end of the flexible skin within the groove. This causes the wing's trailing edge to deflect upwards and downwards within a second chord length range, which is 40% of the chord length.

[0009] Preferably, when the rotary actuator drives the crank connecting rod to move the movable end of the flexible skin towards the leading edge of the wing, the trailing edge of the wing deflects downward; when the rotary actuator drives the crank connecting rod to move the movable end of the flexible skin towards the trailing edge of the wing, the trailing edge of the wing deflects upward.

[0010] Preferably, the actuation mechanism consists of two sets of rotary actuators, crank connecting rods and sliders, wherein the two sets of rotary actuators, crank connecting rods and sliders are distributed along the extension direction of the support beam, and together drive the deformation of the airfoil trailing edge.

[0011] Preferably, the experimental apparatus further includes carbon fiber baffles, which are connected to both ends of the support beam in the extension direction. The carbon fiber baffles enclose a region of 50% of the chord length, and the thickness of the carbon fiber baffles is 2 mm.

[0012] The upper and lower mask plates, together with the carbon fiber baffle, form a leading edge wing box that can support the flexible skin.

[0013] Preferably, the flexible skin has a thickness of 1 mm and is made of glass fiber composite material with the following properties: elastic modulus: 20.25 GPa, yield strength: 0.397 GPa, Poisson's ratio: 0.11.

[0014] Preferably, the rotary actuator is model XH540-W270-R / T, and the maximum driving torque is 11.7 N·m.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0016] (1) The wing flexible bending active control experimental device of the present invention can simulate the aerodynamic behavior of the wing under real flight conditions by realizing the flexible bending of the wing trailing edge, so that researchers can accurately adjust and measure the deformation effect of the wing trailing edge in a controlled environment, thereby enhancing the flexibility and accuracy of the experiment.

[0017] (2) The airfoil of this invention does not have rigid support components inside the trailing edge. It maintains its basic shape solely through the stiffness of the flexible skin itself, and achieves changes in airfoil shape after upward and downward deflection. The use of glass fiber significantly reduces the maximum equivalent stress and driving force after the trailing edge of the wing bends, ensuring the reliability and repeatability of the experiment.

[0018] (3) The wing flexible bending active control experimental device of the present invention drives the chord region of the trailing edge of the airfoil to achieve upward and downward deflection within a certain angle during the experiment. It is installed in the wind tunnel test section and, together with the rotating mechanism, completes wind tunnel experiments at different angles of attack, providing important experimental equipment support for the study of wing flexible bending control. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible trailing edge bending experimental device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the flexible wing experimental device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating the upward and downward deflection effects of the flexible wing experimental device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Reference numerals: 1-Support beam, 2-Flexible skin, 3-Rotary actuator, 4-Crank connecting rod, 5-Slider, 6-Drive component, 7-Upper mask, 8-Upper crossbeam, 9-Lower mask, 10-Lower crossbeam, 11-Lower crossbeam component, 12-Upper crossbeam component. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To better understand the above-described objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other. Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] To illustrate the effectiveness of the method proposed in this invention, the following detailed description of the above technical solution of this invention is provided through a specific embodiment.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, this invention provides an experimental device for achieving flexible flexing of the wing trailing edge through active control. This experimental device adopts a skin-frame structure, with the main body comprising three parts: a support beam, a flexible skin, and an actuation mechanism. The support beam 1 is located at the leading edge of the wing and consists of two upper crossbeam members arranged in the spanwise direction and two lower crossbeam members arranged in the spanwise direction, connected by bolts. The upper crossbeam member 12 includes an upper crossbeam 8 and an upper skin 7, and the lower crossbeam member 11 includes a lower crossbeam 10 and a lower skin 9. The upper skin 7 and lower skin 9 are arranged within a first chord length range, which is 60% of the chord length. The support beam is the main supporting and fixing component for forming the airfoil, capable of supporting the skin shape, fixing the airfoil position, maintaining the overall stiffness of the airfoil, and bearing the structural weight.

[0027] In some embodiments, the material of the support beam 1 is a high-strength / stiffness aluminum alloy.

[0028] In some embodiments, the main structure also includes carbon fiber baffles arranged on both sides of the airfoil and connected to the side ends of the support beam 1. These baffles can close off an area of ​​50% of the chord length of the airfoil. When the airfoil is placed vertically, the lower baffle bears the pressure of the model, and the upper baffle bears the pressure of the upper end plate of the closed test section, thus serving to close the airfoil and provide fixed support. The thickness of the carbon fiber baffles is 2 mm.

[0029] In some embodiments, the crossbeam member includes an upper mask and a lower mask, which together with a carbon fiber baffle form a leading edge wing box for supporting the flexible skin.

[0030] The flexible skin 2 covers the surface of the support beam 1, forming the outer surface of the airfoil. The flexible skin 2 is used to realize the camber change of the airfoil. The function of this invention is to realize the upward and downward deflection deformation of one end of the wing trailing edge within a range of 40% of the chord length through active control. Therefore, no rigid support components are set inside the airfoil of the deformed part of the wing trailing edge. The basic shape is maintained only by the stiffness of the flexible skin itself, and the shape change of the airfoil after upward and downward deflection is realized.

[0031] In some embodiments, the flexible skin 2 is 1 mm thick and is made of glass fiber composite material. Glass fiber can significantly reduce the maximum equivalent stress and driving force after the wing trailing edge bends.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the actuation mechanism includes a rotary actuator 3, a crank connecting rod 4, and a slider 5. The actuator 3 is located inside the wing and fixed to the lower cover plate. The actuator 3 is connected to the crank connecting rod 4, which is connected to the slider 5. The slider 5 is connected to the movable end of the flexible skin 2. The lower cover plate 9 of the lower crossbeam component 11 is provided with a groove along the direction of the leading edge and trailing edge of the wing. The movable end of the flexible skin 2 is embedded in the groove. When the rotary actuator 3 rotates, it drives the crank connecting rod 4, causing the slider 5 to move the movable end of the flexible skin 2 within the groove, thereby achieving upward and downward deflection deformation within a certain angle in the 40% chord length region of the airfoil trailing edge.

[0033] In some embodiments, the actuator 3 needs to be able to be installed inside the wing. The selected model is XH540-W270-R / T, and it provides sufficient driving torque for the crank-slider mechanism. The XH540-W270-R / T actuator has a volume of 33.5mm (length) × 58.5mm (height) × 44mm (width) and a maximum driving torque of 11.7 N·m, which meets the simulation results of the driving force of the mechanism.

[0034] In some embodiments, the actuation mechanism is provided with two sets of rotary actuators 3, crank connecting rods 4, and sliders 5, which together realize active control of airfoil camber. By actively controlling the movement of the actuators, the airfoil is driven to achieve upward and downward deflection deformation within a certain angle, and is installed in the wind tunnel test section to complete wind tunnel experiments at different angles of attack in conjunction with the rotary mechanism.

[0035] In some embodiments, the glass fiber composite properties of the flexible skin are shown in Table 1.

[0036] Table 1 Property parameters of glass fiber composite materials

[0037]

[0038] This invention discloses the operation mode of this experimental device.

[0039] The experimental setup is fixed at both ends of the spanwise direction on the wind tunnel test section. When the airfoil needs to complete the downward deflection motion, the two rotary actuators arranged along the spanwise direction rotate clockwise at the same time to achieve the downward deflection of the entire airfoil trailing edge; conversely, the two rotary actuators rotate counterclockwise at the same time to achieve the upward deflection of the entire airfoil trailing edge.

[0040] When the crank of the rotary actuator 3 rotates clockwise, the driving force is transmitted to the slider 5 through the crank-connecting rod mechanism 4. This causes the slider 5 on the movable skin of the airfoil trailing edge to move the end of the flexible skin 2 towards the leading edge of the wing within the groove, causing the trailing edge of the wing to deflect downwards. Conversely, when the crank of the rotary actuator 3 rotates counterclockwise, the driving force is transmitted to the slider 5 through the crank-connecting rod mechanism 4. The slider 5 then causes the end of the flexible skin 2 to move towards the trailing edge of the wing within the groove, causing the trailing edge of the wing to deflect upwards.

[0041] In some embodiments, when the slider 5 moves 8mm towards the trailing edge, the trailing edge deflects upward by 7.53°, the upward deflection distance is 21mm, and the driving force is 68N; when the slider 5 is driven to move 8mm towards the front edge, the trailing edge deflects downward by 7.77°, the downward deflection distance is 22mm, and the driving force is 66N. The experimental upward and downward deflection configurations are as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0042] The wing flexible bending active control experimental device of the present invention can simulate the aerodynamic behavior of the wing under real flight conditions by realizing the flexible bending of the wing trailing edge. This allows researchers to accurately adjust and measure the deformation effect of the wing trailing edge in a controlled environment, thereby enhancing the flexibility and accuracy of the experiment.

[0043] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0045] In this invention, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The term "multiple" refers to two or more unless otherwise expressly defined.

[0046] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An experimental device for active control of flexible wing flexure, characterized in that, The experimental apparatus includes: A support beam, which is arranged within the first chord length of the wing, is used to support the flexible skin; A flexible skin covers the surface of a support beam to form the outer surface of a wing. The flexible skin has a movable end that can move along the chord length of the wing. An actuation mechanism is located inside the wing and is fixed to the support beam. The actuation mechanism is connected to the movable end of the flexible skin. The actuation mechanism drives the movable end of the flexible skin to move along the wing chord direction, causing the wing trailing edge to deflect upwards and downwards within a second chord length range. The second chord length range is the range of the wing chord length other than the first chord length range. The support beam is made of aluminum alloy and is composed of an upper crossbeam component and a lower crossbeam component. The upper crossbeam component includes an upper crossbeam and an upper cover plate, and the lower crossbeam component includes a lower crossbeam and a lower cover plate. The upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are arranged within a first chord length range, which is 60% of the chord length range. The actuation mechanism consists of a rotary actuator, a crank connecting rod, and a slider. The rotary actuator is located inside the wing and fixed to the lower cover plate. The rotary actuator is connected to the crank connecting rod, which is connected to the slider. The slider is connected to the movable end of the flexible skin. The lower cover plate is provided with a groove along the direction of the leading edge and trailing edge of the wing. The movable end of the flexible skin is embedded in the groove. When the rotary actuator rotates, it drives the crank connecting rod, causing the slider to move the movable end of the flexible skin within the groove. This causes the trailing edge of the wing to deflect upwards and downwards within a second chord length range, which is 40% of the chord length. The flexible skin has a thickness of 1 mm and is made of glass fiber composite material. The properties of the glass fiber composite material are: elastic modulus: 20.25 GPa, yield strength: 0.397 GPa, Poisson's ratio: 0.

11.

2. The experimental device for active control of flexible wing flexure according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the rotary actuator drives the crank connecting rod, causing the slider to move the movable end of the flexible skin toward the leading edge of the wing, the trailing edge of the wing deflects downward. When the rotary actuator drives the crank connecting rod, causing the slider to move the movable end of the flexible skin towards the trailing edge of the wing, the trailing edge of the wing deflects upward.

3. The experimental device for active control of flexible wing bending according to claim 2, characterized in that: The actuation mechanism consists of two sets of rotary actuators, a crank connecting rod, and a slider. The two sets of rotary actuators, the crank connecting rod, and the slider are distributed along the extension direction of the support beam and work together to drive the deformation of the airfoil trailing edge.

4. The experimental device for active control of flexible wing bending according to claim 2, characterized in that: The experimental apparatus also includes carbon fiber baffles, which are connected to both ends of the support beam in the extension direction. The carbon fiber baffles enclose a region of 50% of the chord length and have a thickness of 2 mm. The upper and lower mask plates, together with the carbon fiber baffle, form a leading edge wing box that can support the flexible skin.

5. The experimental device for active control of flexible wing bending according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary actuator is model XH540-W270-R / T, and its maximum driving torque is 11.7 N·m.

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