AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF A FULL MODEL WITH ADAPTIVE ELASTO-FLEXIBLE MEMBRANE WINGS

Unmanned and micro aerial vehicles operate under a variety of flight conditions. The application of morphing wings for these aircraft offer the possibility to adapt the aerodynamics to different flight stages. The investigated model consists of two deformable wing structures, which are covered by an elastic membrane. The concept enables wing folding over a wide range and it allows the wing to adapt to changing aerodynamic loads. The present study focuses on the fluid-structure-interaction simulations of the elasto-flexible membrane and the surrounding fluid at a Reynolds number of 264000. For validation, the results of the numerical simulations are compared to experimental data. Hereby, the membrane deformation, the aerodynamic coefficients and the flow field in the wake of the wing are examined. The numerical results of the highly swept wing show good agreement with the measurement data. With a more extended wing, the lift is overpredicted at small angles of attack and underpredicted at high angles of attack. The simulations generate larger flow separation areas than can be observed in the wind tunnel.