Overview of the ARPA/WL "Smart Structures and Materials Development-Smart Wing" contract

Jayanth N. Kudva; A. Peter Jardine; Christopher A. Martin; Kari Appa

doi:10.1117/12.239124

1 May 1996 Overview of the ARPA/WL Smart Structures and Materials Development-Smart Wing contract

Jayanth N. Kudva, A. Peter Jardine, Christopher A. Martin, Kari Appa

Proceedings Volume 2721, Smart Structures and Materials 1996: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.239124
Event: 1996 Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 1996, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

While the concept of an adaptive aircraft wing, i.e., a wing whose shape parameters such as camber, wing twist, and thickness can be varied to optimize the wing shape for various flight conditions, has been extensively studied, the complexity and weight penalty of the actuation mechanisms have precluded their practical implementation. Recent development of sensors and actuators using smart materials could potentially alleviate the shortcomings of prior designs, paving the way for a practical, `smart' adaptive wing which responds to changes in flight and environmental conditions by modifying its shape to provide optimal performance. This paper presents a summary of recent work done on adaptive wing designs under an on-going ARPA/WL contract entitled `Smart Structures and Materials Development--Smart Wing.' Specifically, the design, development and planned wind tunnel testing of a 16% model representative of a fighter aircraft wing and incorporating the following features, are discussed: (1) a composite wing torque box whose span-wise twist can be varied by activating built-in shape memory alloy (SMA) torque tubes to provide increased lift and enhanced maneuverability at multiple flight conditions, (2) trailing edge control surfaces deployed using composite SMA actuators to provide smooth, hingeless aerodynamic surfaces, and (3) a suite of fiber optic sensors integrated into the wing skin which provide real-time strain and pressure data to a feedback control system.

Citation Download Citation

Jayanth N. Kudva, A. Peter Jardine, Christopher A. Martin, and Kari Appa "Overview of the ARPA/WL Smart Structures and Materials Development-Smart Wing contract", Proc. SPIE 2721, Smart Structures and Materials 1996: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies, (1 May 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.239124

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available