Numerical simulation and wind tunnel tests investigation and validation of a morphing wing-tip demonstrator aerodynamic performance

This paper presents the results obtained from the numerical simulation and experimental wind tunnel testing of a morphing wing equipped with a flexible upper surface and controllable actuated aileron. The technology demonstrator is representative of a real aircraft wing tip section, and it was developed following a complex, multidisciplinary design process. The model was fitted with a composite material upper skin whose shape can be morphed, as a function of the flight condition, by four electrical actuators placed inside the wing structure. The optimizations were performed with the aim of controlling the extent of the laminar flow region, and the resulting shapes were scanned using high-precision photogrammetry. The numerical simulations were performed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and included a model for predicting the laminar-to-turbulent flow transition over the entire wing surface. The analyses included cases with three aileron deflection angles and angles of attack situated within five degrees range. The CFD results were compared with infrared thermography measurements in terms of transition location, surface pressure measurements and balance loads measurements acquired during subsonic wind tunnel tests performed at the National Research Council Canada.