2023-09-18 18:15:05
Small aerial vehicles have gained notable prominence in recent years due to their potential applications in a multitude of fields, both in outdoor and indoor flight. Furthermore, the fact of its small size allows for the development and exploration of very innovative technologies, as is the case of research work that has been carried out to increase the flight capabilities of a small aircraft.
This work is the result of collaboration between the Higher Technical School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering (ETSIAE), of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) of the Ministry of Defense, in Spain all these entities.
The research and development team, headed by Javier Crespo Moreno from the UPM, has devised a “bio-inspired microdrone” with deformable wing geometry in which the moving mechanical elements have been replaced by deformable aerodynamic surfaces using smart materials on a wing, which leads to a notable improvement in the device’s performance.
The research and development work has consisted of the integration of composite materials in a wing, so that the modification of the geometry was based on adaptive wing geometry, that is, without mechanical elements, since these have a lower temporal response.
Intelligent composite materials known as MFC (the acronym in English for “macro fiber composites”) have been used and have been adhered to the inner part of the wing. By controlling its voltage at will, the geometry of the wing is modified and, therefore, the aerodynamic characteristics and performances will be clearly altered and controlled depending on the maneuver of the vehicle. In this way, taking into account the electronic control of the system, this controlled modification of the curvature allows an immediate and efficient adjustment of the wing geometry, which modifies the aerodynamic characteristics and adapts them to the flight profile.
Details of the manufactured prototype: general view of the vehicle (a) and detail of the piezoelectric actuator installed on the wing (b). (Images: UPM)
“We are talking about an increase in curvature leading to modifying the aerodynamic characteristics of the drone. For example, an increase in the maximum lift coefficient allows the aerial vehicle to fly at lower speeds, which allow it to accommodate different load requirements (photographic cameras, video cameras, atmospheric sensors, etc.), or for takeoff and landing periods are shorter,” the researchers point out. This increased versatility allows the vehicle to be adapted to different mission scenarios, making it a positive value in different applications. Thus, its capabilities for possible missions will be clearly extended.
The results obtained in the research demonstrate that the control and maneuverability of the vehicle are clearly viable using these systems based on intelligent composite materials, so that their integration opens new avenues for research in aerospace engineering, in the field of flight mechanics, with new elements to improve aerodynamic characteristics and performances. In the opinion of the researchers participating in the study, “intelligent composite materials will be the previous step to the development of innovative strategies in the development of adaptive control laws.”
The study is titled “Performance enhancement of a bioinspired micro air vehicle by integrating a smart composite in its morphing wing.” And it has been published in the academic journal Composite Structures. (Source: UPM)
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