Deployable Airfoil Sections for Extended Chord Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current deployable airfoil systems for missiles, guided projectiles, and UAVs face limitations in chord length due to space constraints, as the wings must be stowed and then deployed, often in a synchronized manner, which restricts their size and deployment flexibility.
Innovation Solution
The design features two rigid airfoil sections stowed end-to-end along the airborne body, connected by a floating pivot and a fixed pivot, allowing them to rotate and interlock to form a larger rigid airfoil with a greater chord length, utilizing a deployment mechanism such as springs or gear systems to achieve this configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If wings are stowed along or inside the fuselage and deployed in sync, then the vehicle maintains a streamlined profile during launch, but the chord length is limited by space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The airfoil is divided into multiple sections that can be stowed end-to-end along the fuselage and then deployed to form a complete airfoil. This segmentation allows the airfoil to fit within limited stowage space while achieving a larger chord length when deployed, directly resolving the contradiction between limited stowage volume and desired chord length.
Solution Approach 2:
The airfoil sections are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the fuselage during stowage (one-dimensional arrangement) and then rotated into a transverse position during deployment (transition to two-dimensional arrangement). This dimensional transition enables the airfoil to achieve a larger chord length perpendicular to the fuselage while maintaining a compact longitudinal profile during stowage.
2Length of moving object
If wings are stowed end-to-end and deployed independently, then larger chord length is achieved, but deployment mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deployment mechanism utilizes the aerodynamic forces and inertial effects generated during launch to automatically deploy the airfoil sections. The sections are positioned to deploy sequentially as the vehicle accelerates, eliminating the need for complex active deployment systems while achieving the desired larger chord length configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A deployable airfoil airborne body such as missiles, bombs, guided projectiles, MALDs and UAVs includes first and second rigid airfoil sections stowed end-to-end along the airborne body. The airfoil sections have first and second interior edges of equal lengths, abutting ends connected at the first and second interior edges by a free-floating pivot, a distant end of the first rigid airfoil section coupled to a fixed pivot on the airborne body, and a distant end of the second rigid airfoil section having a translation point. The first and second rigid airfoil sections are configured to rotate in opposite directions to move the translation point axially along the airborne body to abut the fixed pivot driving the free-floating pivot radially away from the airborne body to join the first and second interior edges in a deployed position transverse to the airborne body to form a rigid airfoil.