Pressure-Adaptive Honeycomb Wing Structure for Morphing Aerodynamics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current morphing wing technologies for aircraft face challenges in achieving adaptive deformation with low power consumption, low complexity, and integration into conventional aerospace materials, while maintaining structural integrity and aerodynamic efficiency across cruise and landing regimes, due to limitations in adaptive materials and high lift device complexity.
Innovation Solution
A pressure-adaptive honeycomb structure using certified aerospace materials, where honeycomb cells with inelastic pouches alter stiffness by changing cell differential pressure, enabling deformation without external actuators and reducing weight and complexity, and can be controlled by ambient pressure or engine bleed air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adaptive materials (SMA, piezoelectric) are used for morphing structures, then adaptability is improved, but weight, complexity, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adaptive function from complex adaptive materials and relocates it to the honeycomb core structure itself. The honeycomb cells are designed to deform under aerodynamic pressure, providing wing morphing capability without requiring SMA or piezoelectric materials. This separates the adaptive function from the skin and control systems, reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The honeycomb structure serves dual purposes: it provides structural support and simultaneously enables adaptive deformation through its inherent cellular geometry. The cells deform under aerodynamic pressure to change wing geometry, eliminating the need for separate adaptive materials and their associated control systems. The structure adapts itself using the aerodynamic forces already present during flight.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adaptive materials are used for wing morphing, then flight performance adaptability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The honeycomb structure utilizes aerodynamic pressure from the airflow itself to drive the morphing deformation, eliminating the need for external power sources. The pressure differential across the honeycomb cells during different flight regimes (cruise vs. landing) automatically induces the desired geometric changes without consuming electrical power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs aerodynamic pressure (a form of pneumatic force) to actuate the honeycomb deformation. The airflow pressure differential across the wing structure during different flight conditions serves as the actuating force, replacing electrical actuators and their power consumption with a passive pneumatic mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex high lift devices are used to achieve maximum lift coefficient, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the high lift capability from complex mechanical high lift devices (flaps, slats) and relocates it to the honeycomb core structure. The cellular geometry and deformation characteristics of the honeycomb provide the necessary camber and shape changes to achieve high lift coefficients without requiring separate mechanical high lift device systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the structural support function with the high lift generation function into a single integrated honeycomb structure. The same cellular core that provides structural strength also enables the wing to deform into high-lift configurations, eliminating the need for separate high lift devices and their associated complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If honeycomb cells use fixed mass of air, then adaptability to altitude changes is improved, but control flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the air in the honeycomb cells from a fixed mass system to a constant pressure system. By maintaining constant pressure through controlled mass flow, the structure adapts to altitude changes while the pilot retains control flexibility through the ability to command pressure changes when needed. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between passive altitude adaptability and active control flexibility.
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
The pressure-adaptive honeycomb structure achieves significant strain and force capabilities, enhancing lift coefficients and reducing drag, making it suitable for morphing aircraft structures with reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs, and improved aerodynamic performance.
Implementation Method 1
By changing the cell differential pressure (CDP) the stiffness of the honeycomb can be altered
Implementation Method 2
Each of the cells can contain an inelastic pouch (or bladder) that forms a circular tube when the cell forms a perfect hexagon
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for an adaptive aerostructure is presented that relies on certified aerospace materials and can therefore be applied in conventional passenger aircraft. This structure consists of a honeycomb material which cells extend over a significant length perpendicular to the plane of the cells. Each of the cells contains an inelastic pouch (or bladder) that forms a circular tube when the cell forms a perfect hexagon. By changing the cell differential pressure (CDP) the stiffness of the honeycomb can be altered. Using an external force or the elastic force within the honeycomb material, the honeycomb can be deformed such that the cells deviate from their perfect-hexagonal shape. It can be shown that by increasing the CDP, the structure eventually returns to a perfect hexagon. By doing so, a fully embedded pneumatic actuator is created that can perform work and substitute conventional low-bandwidth flight control actuators. It is shown that two approaches can be taken to regulate the stiffness of this embedded actuator.