Compliant Bending Wing Design

This a compliant bending wing design concept which uses the ability of material to elastically deform. The aim of this design was to remove the hinge joint for control surfaces on wings. The control surface in this case would be replaced by the changing airfoil of the wing. This reduced number of parts and disturbances to the airflow should theoretically improve the efficiency of the wing design.

 

FEA studies were conducted on a wing section to determine the actuation force needed to manipulate the airfoil of the wing.

The design of the airfoil wing allowed the entire wing to be constructed in one piece which can be 3D printed.

The Figure below showcases a cross-section test of the compliant wing design actuated using a servo motor for control.