SMART MORPHING CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS FOR ADVANCED LIFTING SURFACES

The aim of this thesis has been the study and implementation of structural solutions for the local or global change of airplanes wing geometry (adaptive wing): they may lead to an increase in aerodynamic efficiency and reduced operating costs and maintenance, as well as the structural complexity through the use of "smart" materials. In particular, attention has been paid to three parameters: the formation of a dorsal bump, the trailing edge curvature and the airfoil chord. Innovative aspects of this research concern the use of “smart” materials with an high structural integration and the development of solutions in full scale for use on regional civil transportation aircrafts. Developed methodologies have been both theoretical-numerical, to simulate the thermomechanical behaviour of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) and its integration into a Finite Element approach in commercial software, and application-experimental, with the manufacture of prototypes and tests in laboratory. Major achievements included the construction and validation in laboratory of several original morphing architectures for load-bearing surfaces. The full functionality against the requirements and a discrete numerical-experimental correlation has been demonstrated. One of the investigated solutions is based on an innovative actuator based on SMA: its use in the aeronautical field, however, is one of many possible applications. Novelty of the studies and interest shown by the industrial partner (Alenia Aeronautica) have conducted at the request of an European patent (patent pending), and further funding of such studies to proceed with industrialization of the proposed architectures (TIAS project).