Deployable Slotted Wings With Asymmetric Stowage Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wing systems for air vehicles, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), face challenges in efficiently deploying and stowing wings without interference, while maximizing envelope occupancy and ensuring high lift characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A wing system with two-element slotted aerofoils, where each wing has a different flap angle in the stowed configuration to optimize packaging, and a pivotable design allowing smooth deployment without interference, featuring high lift coefficients and adjustable geometry for various flight regimes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If wings are folded in close proximity to the fuselage for stowed configuration, then envelope occupancy is maximized, but wing deployment may experience interference between wings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by setting different flap angles for the left and right wings in the stowed configuration. Specifically, one wing is positioned at a first flap angle while the other wing is positioned at a second flap angle that is different from the first. This asymmetric arrangement prevents the wings from symmetrically interfering with each other during deployment, thereby resolving the contradiction between maximizing envelope occupancy and ensuring reliable deployment without interference.
2Productivity
If wings are designed with high lift characteristics, then flight performance is improved, but wing thickness increases causing interference during deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by implementing asymmetric flap angles in the stowed configuration. By positioning one wing at a different flap angle than the other, the design allows high-lift wings with greater thickness to be accommodated without deployment interference. The asymmetric arrangement creates sufficient clearance between the wings during the deployment sequence, enabling both high lift characteristics and reliable deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by using pivotable wings that can transition between different configurations. The wings are designed to rotate about pivot axes, allowing them to move from a stowed position with asymmetric flap angles to a deployed position where they generate high lift. This dynamic capability enables the wings to achieve both compact stowed arrangement and high-lift performance without permanent geometric compromise.
3Reliability
If wings are made thin to avoid deployment interference, then deployment is smooth, but lift generation capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by implementing asymmetric flap angles in the stowed configuration. This asymmetric arrangement allows the use of thicker, high-lift wings while maintaining smooth deployment. The different flap angles create asymmetric clearance patterns that prevent interference between wings during deployment, thereby enabling both smooth deployment and high lift generation without requiring thin wings.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient packaging and deployment of wings within a limited envelope, providing high lift and endurance characteristics, and adaptability for different flight conditions.
Implementation Method 1
each said aerofoil profile being a slotted aerofoil having a primary element, a secondary element and a chord, the secondary element being pivotable with respect to the primary element and spaced therefrom by a gap
Data Source
Figure 1~1(a)
Figure 2~3
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
A wing system is provided for an air vehicle, the wing system having a stowed configuration, a pre-deployed configuration, and a deployed configuration. The wing system includes two wings, each wing having aerofoil profiles and being pivotably deployable about a respective pivot axis between the pre-deployed configuration and the deployed configuration. In the stowed configuration the two wings are in first general superposed spatial relationship with respect to one another and are capable of being accommodated within an envelope having an envelope cross-sectional profile and a corresponding envelope cross-sectional area. In the pre-deployed configuration, the two wings are in second general superposed spatial relationship with respect to one another and capable of deploying to the deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration the wings are each capable of generating aerodynamic lift in an airstream. Each aerofoil profile of each wing is a slotted aerofoil having a primary element, a secondary element and a chord, the secondary element being pivotable with respect to the primary element and spaced therefrom by a gap. Each aerofoil profile has a respective maximum thickness, and a respective maximum absolute thickness. In the stowed configuration, the respective second element of each aerofoil of one wing is set at a different flap angle as compared with the respective second element of each aerofoil of the other wing.