Improving the UAS-S4 Ehecatl airfoil high angles-of-attack performance characteristics using a morphing wing approach

Sugar-Gabor, O; Simon, A; Koreanschi, A; Botez, RM

Abstract

In this paper, a morphing wing approach with a new methodology and its results for the high angles-of-attack optimization of the S4 unmanned aerial system airfoil are described. The boundary layer separation delay, coupled with an increase of the maximum lift coefficient, was achieved using an in-house optimization tool based on the artificial bee colony algorithm, coupled with the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm to provide a final refinement. The obtained results were validated with an advanced, multi-objective, commercially available optimizing tool. The aerodynamic calculations were performed using a two-dimensional linear panel method, coupled with an incompressible boundary layer model and a transition estimation criterion. For very small displacements of the airfoil surface, of less than 2.5 mm, lift coefficient increases of up to 18% together with relevant drag reductions have been achieved, successfully delaying separation for the high angles-of-attack range.

Citation

Sugar-Gabor, O., Simon, A., Koreanschi, A., & Botez, R. (2016). Improving the UAS-S4 Ehecatl airfoil high angles-of-attack performance characteristics using a morphing wing approach. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 230(1), 118-131. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954410015587725

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: May 26, 2016
• Publication Date: May 26, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 10, 2017
• Journal: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
• Print ISSN: 0954-4100
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-3025
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Volume: 230
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 118-131
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0954410015587725
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0954410015587725
• Related Public URLs: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/journal/proceedings-institution-mechanical-engineers-part-g-journal-aerospace-engineering