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US 9,598,167 B2Granted
Morphing airfoil leading edge
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRobert E. Grip, John J. Brown, Neal A. Harrison, Blaine K. Rawdon, John C. Vassberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airfoil may include a leading edge and a shape control mechanism. The leading edge may include a flexible leading edge skin having a first end, a second end, and an arc length defined therebetween. The shape control mechanism may be attached to the flexible leading edge skin at a plurality of support locations and may transition the flexible leading edge skin from a first shape having a first curvature profile to a second shape having a second curvature profile different than the first curvature profile without a change in the arc length.
Claims20
An airfoil, comprising:
- a leading edge including a flexible leading edge skin having a first end, a second end, and an arc length defined therebetween, the first end and the second end being constrained locations of the flexible leading edge skin;
- a shape control mechanism attached to the flexible leading edge skin at a plurality of discrete, fixed support locations and configured to transition the flexible leading edge skin from a first shape having a first curvature profile to a second shape having a second curvature profile different than the first curvature profile without a change in the arc length;
- and
- the shape control mechanism including at least one main arm and at least one rotation arm each directly connected to and extending from an airfoil main portion and coupled to a same support location in a manner such that when the shape control mechanism transitions the leading edge skin from the first shape to the second shape:
- the main arm enforces a displacement of the leading edge skin at the same support location;
- and
- the rotation arm enforces a slope change of the leading edge skin at the same support location.
4 more elements
An aircraft, comprising:
- an airfoil;
- a leading edge disposed on the airfoil and including a flexible leading edge skin having a first end, a second end, and an arc length defined therebetween, the first end and the second end being constrained locations of the flexible leading edge skin;
- and
- a shape control mechanism attached to the flexible leading edge skin at a plurality of discrete, fixed support locations and configured to transition the flexible leading edge skin from a first shape having a first curvature profile to a second shape having a second curvature profile different than the first curvature profile without a change in the arc length;
- the shape control mechanism including at least one main arm and at least one rotation arm each directly connected to and extending from an airfoil main portion and coupled to a same support location in a manner such that when the shape control mechanism transitions the leading edge skin from the first shape to the second shape:
- the main arm enforces a displacement of the leading edge skin at the same support location;
- and
- the rotation arm enforces a slope change of the leading edge skin at the same support location.
5 more elements
A method of morphing a leading edge of an airfoil, comprising:
- controlling a shape control mechanism attached, at a plurality of discrete, fixed support locations, to a flexible leading edge skin of the airfoil, the shape control mechanism including at least one main arm and at least one rotation arm each directly connected to and extending from an airfoil main portion and coupled to a same support location of the plurality of discrete, fixed support locations, the flexible leading edge skin having a first end, a second end, and an arc length defined therebetween, the first end and the second end being constrained locations of the flexible leading edge skin;
- transitioning the flexible leading edge skin from a first shape having a first curvature profile to a second shape having a second curvature profile different than the first curvature profile;
- and
- maintaining the arc length of the flexible leading edge skin when transitioning the flexible leading edge skin from the first shape to the second shape;
- and
- enforcing, using the main arm and the rotation arm, a respective displacement and a slope change of the leading edge skin at the same support location when transitioning the leading edge skin from the first shape to the second shape.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.