Better knowledge in the areas of aerodynamics and optimization has allowed designers to
develop efficient wingtip structures in recent years. However, the requirements faced by wingtip
devices can be considerably different amongst an aircraft’s flight regimes. Traditional static
wingtip devices are then a compromise between conflicting requirements, resulting in less than
optimal performance within each regime. Alternatively, a morphing wingtip can reconfigure
leading to improved performance over a range of dissimilar flight conditions. Developed within
this thesis, is a modular morphing wingtip concept that centers on the use of variable geometry
truss mechanisms to permit morphing. A conceptual design framework is established to aid in
the development of the concept. The framework uses a metaheuristic optimization procedure to
determine optimal continuous wingtip configurations. The configurations are then discretized for
the modular concept. The functionality of the framework is demonstrated through a design study
on a hypothetical wing/winglet within the thesis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/33455 |
| Date | 22 November 2012 |
| Creators | Morley, Joshua |
| Contributors | Behdinan, Kamran |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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