US 8,366,057 B2 · Method and apparatus for pressure adaptive morphing structure

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an adaptive aerostructure is presented that relies on certified aerospace materials and can therefore be applied in conventional passenger aircraft. This structure consists of a honeycomb material which cells extend over a significant length perpendicular to the plane of the cells. Each of the cells contains an inelastic pouch (or bladder) that forms a circular tube when the cell forms a perfect hexagon. By changing the cell differential pressure (CDP) the stiffness of the honeycomb can be altered. Using an external force or the elastic force within the honeycomb material, the honeycomb can be deformed such that the cells deviate from their perfect-hexagonal shape. It can be shown that by increasing the CDP, the structure eventually returns to a perfect hexagon. By doing so, a fully embedded pneumatic actuator is created that can perform work and substitute conventional low-bandwidth flight control actuators. It is shown that two approaches can be taken to regulate the stiffness of this embedded actuator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An adaptive morphing airfoil-structure comprising:

an airfoil-structure having spaced apart first and second outer skins having disposed there between a stacked grid of elongated tubular cells each having cell walls with a substantially hexagonal cross-section thereby forming a honeycomb structure and where each of said elongated tubular cells extend perpendicular to a cross-sectional plane of the cells from a first end to a distal end, and where the first end and the distal end are sealed off forming a pressurized cell;
where said cell walls having a material structure that radially deforms along the cross-sectional plane of the substantially hexagonal cross-section responsive to changes in ambient pressure;
and
where said first and second outer skins having a material structure to morph responsive to deformation of said cell walls.

1 more element

A method for adaptively morphing an airfoil-structure comprising the steps of:

providing an airfoil-structure having proximately spaced apart first and second outer skins having disposed there between a stacked grid of elongated tubular cells each having cell walls with a substantially hexagonal cross-section thereby forming a honeycomb structure and where each extend perpendicular to a cross-sectional plane of the cells from a first end to a distal end;
sealing and pressurizing each cell;
and
where said cell walls having a material structure that radially deforms along the cross-sectional plane from the substantially hexagonal cross-section responsive to changes in ambient pressure, where said first and second outer skins having a material structure to morph responsive to deformation of said cell walls.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for pressure adaptive morphing structure

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for pressure adaptive morphing structure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20