Controllable winglets
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMithra M. K. V. Sankrithi, Joshua B. Frommer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for providing variable geometry winglets to an aircraft are disclosed. In one embodiment, a winglet includes a base portion configured to attach to a wing. The winglet further includes a body portion. In turn, the body portion includes at least one of a deflectable control surface, a shape memory alloy (SMA) bending plate, and a SMA torque tube. The base portion is configured to attach to the wing such that the body portion projects at an upward angle from the wing.
Claims20
A winglet, comprising:
- a base portion to attach to a distal portion of a wing;
- and
- a body portion that includes a controllable section to adjust a shape of the body portion, the controllable section contains at a shaped memory alloy (SMA) bending plate that bends the body portion span-wise relative to the wing and a SMA torque tube that twists the body portion stream-wise,
- wherein the base portion attaches to the wing such that the body portion projects at an upward angle from the wing.
A method for adapting an aircraft to a plurality of flight conditions, comprising:
- providing a plurality of winglets, each of the winglets coupled to a distal end of a different wing of a pair of wings, each of the winglets including a corresponding body portion that comprises, a shape memory alloy (SMA) bending plate to bend the body portion span-wise relative to a corresponding wing, and a SMA torque tube that twists the body portion stream-wise;
- providing a first winglet modification signal that reversibly deforms at least one of the SMA bending plate or the SMA torque tube;
- and
- modifying at least one of the winglets based on the modification signal.
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a pair of wings operatively coupled to the fuselage;
- and
- a winglet coupled to each wing, the winglet comprising:
- a base portion to attach to the wing;
- a body portion including a shape memory alloy (SMA) bending plate to bend the body portion span-wise to at least one of the pair of wings, and at least one SMA torque tube to perform stream-wise twist of the body portion;
- and
- a super elastic SMA base portion attached to the wing and the body portion, the super elastic base portion having a hollow SMA structure that at least partially encloses the SMA bending plate and the at least one SMA torque tube,
- wherein the super elastic base portion attaches to the wing such that the body portion projects at an upward angle from the wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.