Aerodynamic performance improvement by active morphing of flexible membrane wing using dielectric elastomer actuator

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15203
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 24010:Aerospace engineering-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Fujita Koji 東北大学, 流体科学研究所, 助教 (80774471)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: モーフィング / 低レイノルズ数 / アクチュエータ / 空力 / 高電圧

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Goal of this study is to control aerodynamic performance of a flexible membrane wing using a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA). The DEA is an elastomer membrane that has flexible electrodes on its surfaces. When high voltage is supplied, the electrodes attract each other, therefore membrane’s area and tension can be controlled.
First, effects of thickness, prestrain, and voltage on deformation and tension of DEA were investigated as a basic property. Second, DEA was applied to a flexible membrane wing model and a wind tunnel test was performed. The results shows that a lift coefficient of the wing was controlled by camber change caused by applied voltage. Its 3-dimentional deformation was measured by stereo camera technique.

Free Research Field

流体力学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

柔軟膜翼は自然界ではコウモリなどが有しており，従来の剛な翼にはない様々な利点があることが知られている．しかし，膜の変形挙動を制御することが難しいことがこれまで課題とされてきた．
本研究では，近年新たに開発された，誘電エラストマアクチュエータという新しいアクチュエータ構造を用いることで，膜自体を直接変形させ，これにより今までにない能動的な柔軟膜翼制御を実現することを試みた．本研究では，実現の基礎となる種々の知見を獲得した．これらを応用することで将来的に，現在の剛な航空機とは一線を画するコウモリのような柔軟かつ高性能な航空機を生み出すことができると期待される．