Fuel Burn Reduction Through Wing Morphing

Abstract

Changing the shape of aircraft is beneficial because they operate in a wide range of flight conditions with conflicting requirements and variations in performance. This chapter focuses on morphing systems that contribute to reducing fuel burn for commercial transport aircraft. We start with a summary of how morphing can reduce fuel burn from the system‐level viewpoint, following which we analyze the three wing‐morphing modes: planform, out‐of‐plane, and airfoil. For each of these, we review morphing mechanisms that are already in place, such as high‐lift systems, and provide an outlook on how more advanced morphing technologies can further reduce fuel burn. The impact of any morphing system must be quantified by considering all the disciplines involved, and a clean‐sheet design should be done to realize the full potential. The most promising type of morphing for the near future is variable trailing edge camber, which can tailor the aerodynamic performance and more effectively alleviate maneuver loads. Research on new materials and morphing mechanisms will make morphing systems lighter, more energy efficient, and more economical. It is just a question of time before we see aircraft wings that exhibit morphing capabilities that seem impossible today.

A Python surrogate modeling framework with derivatives

“…This simplification is made because it would be prohibitively expensive to simulate the full, discretized mission profile using CFD at all points. However, full-mission simulation is sometimes necessary, such as when the flight is short or when considering morphing aircraft designs [28,29]. This requires a surrogate model of the aerodynamic performance as a function of a small number of parameters such as flight speed and altitude.…”

Review and aerodynamic analysis of NACA 2415 morphing wing for variable span and scale morphing concepts using CFD analysis

“…Morphing wings are designed with various morphing concepts, focusing on boosting aircraft performance and stability [2]. In aircraft industries, the morphing wing is now favored to achieve better agility and fuel efficiency for the aircraft [3]. A typical aircraft wing has a fixed shape, but for a morphing wing, the wing configuration can be changed due to the morphing aspect [4].…”

Review of Wing-Morphing Technology

“…This design concept is followed today, and bird flight is deemed the most efficient flight [2]. Hence, to achieve that, mainly two steps [3] are taken: firstly, the airplane body is made as smooth as possible to reduce drag. Secondly, the wings are made as efficient as possible in order for them to deliver lift efficiently at a range of velocities and flight conditions.…”

“…In this way, the significance of wing morphing becomes the next step towards achieving an ideal flight. If a design is made such that it mitigates the inefficiencies of traditional flight, it will help reduce drag [7], noise [8], fuel consumption [3], etc.…”