This thesis presents a study on the design and analysis of a morphing flap
structure integrated with actuation mechanism for potential application to large
aircraft. Unlike the conventional rigid flap mounted on the wing trailing edge,
the morphing flap is designed as a unitized structural system integrated with
three primary components: the upper and lower flexible skins reinforced by
stringers, an eccentric beam actuation mechanism (EBAM) with discs fixed on it,
and the connection of the discs with the stringers. Based on the EBAM concept
proposed by Dr Guo in previous research [1], the current study has been
focused on the EBAM design and optimization, kinematic simulation and
structural modelling of the morphing flap.
Although a lot of efforts have been made to develop the morphing flap in
previous research, it is lack of detailed design of the disc-skin linkage and clear
view on the mechanism optimization in relation to the shape requirement. The
main objective of this research is to meet the morphing shape requirements and
calculate the actuation torque for a specified morphing flap. Firstly effort was
made to design and optimize the disc shape and locations in the EBAM for the
best matching of the specified morphing shape with minimum actuation torque
demand. It is found that minimum three discs are required and their locations
have little effect on the actuation torque. Secondly attention was focused on
designs of the disc and a C-linkage with the stringers. To ensure that the C-
linkage works in practice, a twisted stringer flange design was proposed. Thirdly
the actuation mechanism was integrated with the stiffened skin to play the role
of an active rib in the flap structure. Based on the design, FE modelling and
analysis of the morphing flap structure was carried out. The behaviour of the
morphing flap under the internal actuation and external aerodynamic load was
applied for stress analysis and detailed design of the structures. Finally the
kinematics of the integrated morphing flap was simulated by using CATIA to
demonstrate the feasibility and the effectiveness of the improved design.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:CRANFIELD1/oai:dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk:1826/8437 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Guo, Shixian |
| Contributors | Guo, S. J. |
| Publisher | Cranfield University |
| Source Sets | CRANFIELD1 |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or dissertation, Masters, MSc by Research |
| Rights | © Cranfield University 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owner. |
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