Active Wing Shaping Control of Morphing

Project Title: Active Wing Shaping Control of Morphing Aircraft

Partnering Institutions and Investigators:
Wichita State University (Lead Institution): Animesh Chakravarthy (Science PI), Jim Steck (Co-PI), Yulia Kostogorova-Beller (Co-PI)
Missouri Science & Technology University: Tansel Yucelen (Co-PI in overall project, PI at MS&T) and S. Balakrishnan (Co-PI)
University of Kansas: Shawn Keshmiri (Co-PI in overall project, PI at KU)

Funding Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Award Number NNX15AN04A

Funding Division: Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD)

Total Funded Amount: $749,998

Project Duration: August 1, 2015 – July 31, 2018.

Abstract: The objective of this proposal is the design, development and testing of certifiable control laws for active wing shaping of the VCCTEF (Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap) aircraft that has been conceptualized by NASA, and is a high priority for the NASA ARMD Fixed Wing Project. Use of active wing shaping control is required in order to achieve the enhanced performance (in terms of higher lift-to-drag ratio) that the VCCTEF is capable of generating. The wing shaping control laws will make use of active feedback to continuously modulate the camber across multiple sections of the wings so as to ensure that the local angle of attack distribution over the wing is optimal for every flight condition. The designed control laws would be necessarily robust in order to cater to the effects of the (possibly unmodeled) high frequency dynamics of this extremely elastic aircraft. The active wing shaping technology will be demonstrated on a morphing UAV testbed developed at WSU. This testbed will include a novel sensor skin for measuring wing shape, the output of which will drive the control laws coded on an on-board micro-controller.