Design, Manufacture and Test of a Camber Morphing wing Using MFC Actuated Smart Rib

This paper discusses the design, manufacture and testing of a light weight, camber morphing wing concept for UAV application. The concept is based on using an MFC actuator attached to a composite plate which extends along the main wing and connects leading and trailing edge sections. The flexible composite plate acts as a smart wing rib to create a dynamic change in wing upper surface camber by pushing, simultaneously, on the front and back wing sections. By controlling the applied voltage to the MFC, the composite plate maybe deflected to give the required amount in the wing's upper surface displacement. The morphing part of the wing is constructed as a hollow section while the top skin is made of an ultra-thin elastometric sheet which allows morphing change without sagging. Fast production of the front and back wing parts was achieved using fused deposition manufacturing resulting in rigid, light-weight sections. Wind tunnel tests show that for a range of angles of attack, an increase in aerodynamic performance of the morphed wing is achieved, demonstrating the viability of the proposed concept.