Novel highly aerodynamically efficient wing concepts to enhance stability and flight performance characteristics

With its expanding role in mass transportation, the aspects of operational costs, fuel consumption and environmental impacts are increasingly influencing factors behind the aviation industry. Additionally, with the introduction of schemes such as the Emissions Trading System (ETS) in the EU continuing to make the industry economically accountable for its environmental impact, the interest surrounding the rapid improvement of flight vehicle performance in relation to the demand is one that's shared by the aviation industry globally.
Among multi-disciplinary efforts that aim to face this challenge, aircraft architectures with High Aspect Ratio Wings (HARWs) have received significant attention owing to their substantial effects on reducing induced drag. Presently, the execution of such architectures is limited by a range of technical challenges dictated by unfavourable dynamic effects related to such flight vehicles. These are often a result of the structural flexibility that are an innate property of HARWs, driven by the need to reduce the added structural weight.
Aims and objectives:
This project aims to address the challenges related to the execution of HARWs through a range of novel aspects that includes damping technologies, shape control aspects and other bio-inspired methods. The primary objectives of this project are two-fold, covering the proposing of novel wing architectures that combine integrated damping and shape control methods and secondly, a detailed analysis of its aeroelastic and flight dynamic characteristics.
The former study will primarily investigate the use of embodiments such as tendon-like networks with novel interlinked damping devices to facilitate dynamical augmentations in flexible structures, particularly in light of the challenges faced in HARWs. The latter aspect of detailed investigations of augmented wing architectures will cover multiple static and dynamic aspects of aeroelasticity. These investigations will address widely recognised effects of structural and aerodynamic nonlinearities in similar aeroelastic systems that strongly influence the dynamic characteristics of the wing. This will involve the development of detailed mathematical models and the application of analytical methods for dynamical systems.
Novelty of research:
The standout feature of this investigation will be its emphasis on utilising a multifaceted approach to address the challenges attached to HARW aircraft. This is particularly driven by the proposed incorporation of tendon-like structural networks, damping devices and novel light weight structures that tackles multiple challenges surrounding structural weight, delaying instability and load alleviation. Similar arrangements have recently been discussed within the rotorcraft community in the context of resonance avoidance and vibration control: these applications exploited the tunability of such devices, primarily through the control of internal tension to address variable rotor speed requirements. In the context of HARWs, similar concepts can be exploited to address the above challenges depending on the requirements at varied phases of flight. Moreover, the holistic nature of the proposed methods of analysis - that cover multiple aspects of aeroelasticity and flight mechanics with methods from nonlinear dynamics - adds another dimension of novelty, along with experimental efforts that will facilitate the substantiation of these analytical and theoretical approaches.
Alignment to EPSRC's strategies and research areas:
This project falls within the EPSRC Fluid Dynamics and Aerodynamics research area within the Engineering Theme. In line with the factors driving EPSRC's strategies, the scope of this research aims to cater to the interests of the global aerospace industry. Secondary beneficiaries may be recognised among developers of the multi-megawatt wind turbine blades for the national renewable energy sector.
Collaborations: N/A