Experimental characterization of an adaptive aileron: lab tests and FE correlation

Gianluca Amendola; Ignazio Dimino; Francesco Amoroso; Rosario Pecora

doi:10.1117/12.2219187

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20 April 2016 Experimental characterization of an adaptive aileron: lab tests and FE correlation

Gianluca Amendola, Ignazio Dimino, Francesco Amoroso, Rosario Pecora

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Proceedings Volume 9803, Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2016; 98034P (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2219187
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Abstract

Like any other technology, morphing has to demonstrate system level performance benefits prior to implementation onto a real aircraft. The current status of morphing structures research efforts (as the ones, sponsored by the European Union) involves the design of several subsystems which have to be individually tested in order to consolidate their general performance in view of the final integration into a flyable device. This requires a fundamental understanding of the interaction between aerodynamic, structure and control systems. Important worldwide research collaborations were born in order to exchange acquired experience and better investigate innovative technologies devoted to morphing structures. The “Adaptive Aileron” project represents a joint cooperation between Canadian and Italian research centers and leading industries. In this framework, an overview of the design, manufacturing and testing of a variable camber aileron for a regional aircraft is presented. The key enabling technology for the presented morphing aileron is the actuation structural system, integrating a suitable motor and a load-bearing architecture. The paper describes the lab test campaign of the developed device. The implementation of a distributed actuation system fulfills the actual tendency of the aeronautical research to move toward the use of electrical power to supply non-propulsive systems. The aileron design features are validated by targeted experimental tests, demonstrating both its adaptive capability and robustness under operative loads and its dynamic behavior for further aeroelastic analyses. The experimental results show a satisfactory correlation with the numerical expectations thus validating the followed design approach.

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Gianluca Amendola, Ignazio Dimino, Francesco Amoroso, and Rosario Pecora "Experimental characterization of an adaptive aileron: lab tests and FE correlation", Proc. SPIE 9803, Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2016, 98034P (20 April 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2219187

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