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2013
Conference Paper
Titel
Adaptive aeronautical structures demonstration on a modular designed micro aerial vehicle
Abstract
Demonstration of the performance of adaptive structures on air vehicles in general has been a rather difficult subject. Different reasons such as cost, risk, actuator capability, time and possibly others have prevented performance of adaptive aeronautical structures to be demonstrated exhaustively. Although operating at lower Reynolds numbers a means to alleviate some of the reasons preventing smart technologies to be applied is to demonstrate those adaptive structures' capabilities on a micro aerial vehicle (MAV) which is what is presented along this article. Based on a modular MAV design it is shown how within minutes if not even seconds wings, tails or the propulsion systems can be easily changed resulting in differences of the MAV's performance. Principally based on the same fuselage this allows different features of adaptive structures to be performance and analyzed such as a change in a wing's thickness, aspect ratio, stiffness or angle of attack, or a vector thrust propulsion system, before an adaptive structures' solution is practically realized. The performance of all these features has been demonstrated in flight tests and the results obtained have been validated through analytical and numerical analysis, mainly from the point of flight performance stability and manoeuvrability which will be described and explained throughout the article. The effects of passive versus active adaptive wing will be briefly explained. Special emphasis is also made with regard to a vector thrust propulsion principle which besides enhancing manoeuvrability also allows a MAV's payload and/or endurance to be enhanced significantly.