Session: 01-02-01: Adaptive and Multifunctional Structures 1

Paper Number: 164085

164085 - Development of a Shape-Adaptive Control Surface With a Novel Integrated Sheet Actuator 

The development of low cost additively manufactured shape-adaptive wind tunnel models not only saves time and money, but also can aid the development of high-performance small un-manned air vehicles (UAVs). As part of an effort to make a cambering wind tunnel model of a flexible X-56 wing, a trailing edge “Integrated Sheet Actuator Conformal Control Surface” (ISACCS) was developed.  The ISACCS has two multi-segment sheet actuators inside a flexing control surface. Fabrication combined multi-material FFF-type additive manufacturing with hand fabrication of pneumatic “sheet” actuators. The novel sheet actuators produce high forces from light-weight materials and can be segmented to reduce volume requirements with little loss in force or contraction. An initial ISACCS-1 with 2-segment actuators had excellent trailing edge bend angles and torque, but upon actuation increased in thickness past an acceptable threshold. ISACCS-2 solved this problem with included 3-segment sheet actuators inside a multi-material compliant wing skin. It exhibited reduced trailing edge bend angles and torque but higher activation pressures made up some differences. However, its skin buckled.  A third refined version with 3-segment sheet actuators did not have a skin but had good bend angles, torque and smoothly changing contours.  A fourth version would include sliding skins. This quick development during a summer faculty fellowship demonstrated robust morphing structures with unique integrated actuators, that can enable a more efficient generation of adaptive wind tunnel models and small UAVs.

Presenting Author: Larry Peel Texas A&M Univ-Kingsville

Presenting Author Biography: Larry Peel is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a small, primarily teaching institution. He received a BSfrom Utah State University, a MS from Virginia Tech, a certificate from the Moscow Aviation Institute, and a PhD from Brigham Young University in1998. He has conducted considerable work with elastomeric-matrix composites, using various configurations for auxetic and high Poisson’s Ratiolaminates, vibration dampening, simple morphing wing skins, and light-weight soft actuators. He has also conducted work in additivemanufacturing of multi-materials, chopped-fiber composites, and compliant structures.