Adaptive airfoils
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsPatrick J. Shields, Michael D. Nevinsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Adaptive airfoils are disclosed. A disclosed example airfoil for use with a vehicle includes first and second skins at least partially defining an exterior of a vehicle, where the first skin includes first and second pivots, and where the second skin includes third and fourth pivots, a first arm extending between the first and third pivots, where the first arm is rotatable about the first and third pivots, a second arm extending between the second and fourth pivots, where the second arm is rotatable about the second and fourth pivots, and a closeout including fifth and sixth pivots rotatably coupled to the first and second skins, respectively.
Claims25
An airfoil for use with a vehicle, the airfoil comprising:
- first and second skins at least partially defining an exterior of the vehicle, the first skin including first and second pivots, the second skin including third and fourth pivots;
- a first arm extending between the first and third pivots, the first arm rotatable about the first and third pivots;
- a second arm extending between the second and fourth pivots, the second arm rotatable about the second and fourth pivots;
- a closeout including fifth and sixth pivots rotatably coupled to the first and second skins, respectively;
- a first movement line operatively coupled to the first pivot;
- and
- a second movement line operatively coupled to the third pivot, wherein the first and second arms are c-shaped and include respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.
A method of producing an adaptive airfoil for use with a vehicle, the method comprising:
- placing a first arm between a first pivot of a first skin and a second pivot of a second skin, the first arm rotatable about the first and second pivots, the first and second skins to at least partially define an exterior of the vehicle;
- placing a second arm between a third pivot of the first skin and a fourth pivot of the second skin, the second arm rotatable about the third and fourth pivots;
- rotatably coupling a closeout to the first and second skins at fifth and sixth pivots, respectively, of the closeout, wherein the closeout is rotatable about the fifth and sixth pivots;
- operatively coupling a first movement line to the first pivot;
- and
- operatively coupling a second movement line to the second pivot, wherein the first and second arms are c-shaped and include respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.
A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause a processor to at least:
- determine a flight condition of a vehicle;
- calculate an adjustment of an airfoil of the vehicle based on flight input and the determined flight condition;
- and
- direct an actuator to adjust a shape of the airfoil based on the calculated adjustment, wherein the shape of the airfoil is adjusted by the actuator moving at least one arm of a plurality of arms extending between first and second pivots of first and second skins, respectively, of the airfoil, wherein a first movement line is operatively coupled to the first pivot;
- and wherein a second movement line operatively coupled to the second pivot, wherein the at least one arm of the arms is c-shaped and includes respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.
A method of adjusting a shape of an airfoil of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- determining an adjustment of the airfoil;
- and
- moving, based on the determined adjustment, at least one of a plurality of arms extending between a first pivot of a first skin of the airfoil and a second pivot of a second skin of the airfoil, wherein a first movement line is operatively coupled to the first pivot;
- wherein a second movement line is operatively coupled to the second pivot, and wherein the at least one of the arms is c-shaped and includes respective corners to guide the first and second movement lines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.