Aerodynamic optimization of a morphing membrane wing

This paper considers a morphing membrane wing concept capable of achieving large variations of the planform and airfoil shapes. Due to its high flexibility, the wing surface deforms under aerodynamic load and, as a result, the aerodynamic characteristics show a passive dependency on the flow conditions. The current investigations focus on the possibility to control the passive deformation of the membrane by actively varying its pre-tension. For this, experimental tests including force and deformation measurements are performed on a wind tunnel model using a movable trailing-edge to modify the pre-tension of the membrane. The results show that this method effectively allows adjusting the camber of the wing within a certain range at a given flow condition, which in turn can be used to positively influence its aerodynamic performances.