Design of a smart leading edge device for low speed wind tunnel tests in the European project SADE

TLDR

SADE focuses on morphing technologies for leading and trailing edge high‑lift devices, aiming to advance the potential of morphing airframe technologies. The paper describes the pre‑design and sizing of a smart leading edge section for SADE, a project aimed at advancing morphing airframe technologies. The study develops a smart gap and step‑less droop nose device for the leading edge, a smart trailing edge for the landing flap, and plans wind‑tunnel testing of a five‑meter‑span, three‑meter‑chord full‑scale section at TsAGI.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the pre‐design and sizing of a smart leading edge section which is developed in the project SADE (Smart High Lift Devices for Next Generation Wings), which is part of the seventh framework program of the EU. Design/methodology/approach The development of morphing technologies in SADE concentrates on the leading and trailing edge high‐lift devices. At the leading edge a smart gap and step‐less droop nose device is developed. For the landing flap a smart trailing edge of the flap is in the focus of the research activities. The main path in SADE follows the development of the leading edge section and the subsequent wind tunnel testing of a five meter span full‐scale section with a chord length of three meters in the wind tunnel T‐101 at the Russian central aero‐hydrodynamic institute (TsAGI) in Moscow. Findings The presented paper gives an overview over the desired performance and requirements of a smart leading edge device, its aerodynamic design for the wind tunnel tests and the structural pre‐design and sizing of the full‐scale leading edge section which will be tested in the wind tunnel. Originality/value SADE aims at a major step forward in the development and evaluation of the potential of morphing airframe technologies.