Morphing Aircraft

The researches performed during last ten years in the field of adaptive or ’smart’ structures, including morphing, are mainly focused on the embedding of many already-mature smart structure concepts actuators, sensors, materials, etc..), coupled with novel shaping techniques, into a single aircraft to produce emarkable improvements of the global performances. 

This improvement is general, and can be related to different disciplines. The use of embedded actuators can improve the aerodynamic/aeroelastic/acustic response of the structures. Finally, the use of embedded mechanism (mainly based on new materials or new structural concepts) allows to adapt the shape of the wing to optimize its performances during the flight.

Researches related to morphing carried out in the ASDL Lab are mainly based on the concept of compliant structures where the structure is smoothely deformed by an ad hoc design of the distributed structural stiffness. The obained structures are typically hingeless, continuous, able to guarantee a smooth deformed shape and not subject to friction and backlash. 

Applications developed during last years are related to both Leading and Trailing edge control surfaces. The images on the left show the 2D models of LE and TE morphing in both undeformed and deformed (morphed) configuration.

The approach is based on the adoption of morphing ribs able to modify the shape of the wing, basically the camber, in a continuous way without any gap typical of classical control surfaces. The design of morphing ribs requires a compromise between the load carry capability  together with the ability to change the external shape. For this reason, a two-level optimization procedure has been developed. In the first level the optimal airfoils shape s determined, trying to match the best aerodynamic performance and at the same time to inimize the deformation energy related to the airfoil skin; in the second optimization level the ptimal internal structure is designed by combining a compliant structures analysis and design ool with a genetic-based optimization solver.

The application of this technology has been validated both on numerical simulation models as well on experimental small and large scale demonstrators, like the one shown on the left, representing a full scale, reduced span, LE morphing designed and successfully tested during CS2-AIRGREEN2 EU project in 2022.

The activities related to morphing structures have been developed in the framework of different EU projects, such as:

• Active Aeroelastic Aircraft Structures - 3AS (FP5, 2003-2006)

• SMORPH, funded by European Science Fundation (ESF, 2007-2010)

• Smart Intelligent Aircraft Structures - SARISTU (FP7, 2011-2016)

• NOVEl air vehicle configurations: from fluttering wings to MORphing flight - NOVEMOR (FP7, 2011-2014)

• Cleansky 2 - AIRGREEN2 project (2014-2022)

• Clean Aviation - HERWINGT project (2023-2025)

• Dimino, I., Moens, F.,Pecora, R., De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., Ameduri, S., Concilio, A., Mercurio, U., Carossa, G.M., "Morphing Wing Technologies within the Airgreen 2 Project", AIAA Scitech 2022 Forum, AIAA, 2022, ISBN: 9781624106316, p. 1-12, AIAA 2022-0718 San Diego, CA, USA & Virtual Conference, 3-7 Jan. 2022, DOI:10.2514/6.2022-0718.
• De Gaspari, A., Cavalieri, V., Ricci, S., "Use of MDO Techniques for the Design of Morphing Aircraft", Fundamentals of High Lift for Future Civil Aircraft, R. Radespiel, R. Semaan (Eds.), Springer, 2021, ISBN: 9783030524289, p. 387-404[Final Symposium of the Collaborative Research Center 880, Braunschweig, Germany, Dec. 17-18, 2019], DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-52429-6_24
• Zhang, Z., Yang, Y., Ricci, S., De Gaspari, A., Song, C., Yang, C., "Aeroservoelastic Optimization of a High Aspect Transport Wing with Morphing Trailing Edge", 32nd Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS2021), ISBN: 9783932182914, p. 1-11.
• Zhang, Zhenkai, De Gaspari, Alessandro, Ricci, Sergio, Song, Chen, Yang, Chao, "Gradient-Based Aerodynamic Optimization of an Airfoil with Morphing Leading and Trailing Edges", Applied Sciences, Vol. 11, N. 4, 1929, 2021, 1929 (24 pages), DOI:10.3390/app11041929.
• Cavalieri, V., De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., "Optimization of Compliant Adaptive Structures in the Design of a Morphing Droop Nose", Smart Materials and Structures, Vol. 29, N. 7, 2020, 075020 (22 pages), DOI:10.1088/1361-665X/ab8902.
• De Gaspari, A., Cavalieri, V., Ricci, S., "Advanced Design of a Full-Scale Active Morphing Droop Nose", International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Vol. 2020, N. Special Issue: Smart and Adaptive Structures for Aeronautical Applications, 1086518, 2020, p. 1-19, DOI:10.1155/2020/1086518.
• Zhang, Z., Song, C., Yang, C., Cavalieri, V., De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., "Combining Density-Based Approach and Optimization Refinement in the Design of Morphing Airfoil Structures", AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, AIAA, 2020, ISBN: 9781624105951, p. 1-14, AIAA 2020-546, Orlando, FL, USA, 6-10 Jan. 2020, DOI:10.2514/6.2020-1546
• Cavalieri, V., De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., "An Optimization Procedure for the Optimal Design of Morphing Devices", 25th Conference of the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIDAA 2019), Roma, Italy, 9-12 Sept. 2019, ISBN: 9788894396010, p. 1544-1552.
• De Gaspari, A., Gilardelli, A., Ricci, S., Airoldi, A., Moens, F., "Design of a Leading Edge Morphing Based on Compliant Structures for a Twin-Prop Regional Aircraft", 2018 AIAA/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference - AIAA SciTech, Kissimmee, FL, USA, 8-12 Jan. 2018, ISBN: 9781624105319, p. 1-19, AIAA 2018-1063, DOI:10.2514/6.2018-1063.
• De Gaspari, A., Gilardelli, A., Ricci, S., Airoldi, A., Moens, F., "Design of a Leading Edge Morphing Based on Compliant Structures in the Framework of the CS2-AIRGREEN2 Project", ASME 2018 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS2018), San Antonio, TX, USA, 10-12 Sept. 2018, ISBN: 9780791851944, p. 1-9, SMASIS2018-8246, DOI:10.1115/SMASIS2018-8246.
• De Gaspari, A., Riccobene, L., Ricci, S., "Design, Manufacturing and Wind Tunnel Validation of a Morphing Compliant Wing", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 55, N. 6, 2018, p. 2313-2326, DOI:10.2514/1.C034860.
• Vasista, S., De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., Riemenschneider, J., Monner, H.P., Van De Kamp, B., "Compliant Structures-Based Wing and Wingtip Morphing Devices", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 88, N. 2, 2016, p. 311-330, DOI:10.1108/AEAT-02-2015-
• De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., Riccobene, L., "Design, Manufacturing and Wind Tunnel Test of a Morphing Wing Based on Compliant Structures", 24th AIAA/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference 2016, Curran Associates, Red Hook, NY, 2016, ISBN: 9781510820463, p. 307-324, AIAA 2016-1316, San Diego, CA, USA, 4-8 Jan. 2016, DOI:10.2514/6.2016-1316
• De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., "Knowledge-Based Shape Optimization of Morphing Wing for More Efficient Aircraft", International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Vol. 2015, 2015, 325724 (19 pages). DOI:10.1155/2015/325724.
• De Gaspari, A., Ricci, S., "A Two-Level Approach for the Optimal Design of Morphing Wings Based on Compliant Structures", Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, Vol. 22, N. 10, 2011, p. 1091-1111, DOI:10.1177/1045389X11409081.