Morphing Trailing Edge Flap for High Lift Wing

Abstract

This paper presents the study conducted to design and analyze a morphing trailing edge flap structure for a large aircraft wing. The rear part of the trailing edge flap was modified to be integrated with a set of internal actuation mechanisms distributed along the span of the flap. Additional changes to the conventional flap structure were implemented, such as an open sliding trailing edge and connections between the upper and lower skins to meet the deflection requirements. Modeling and stress analysis were conducted to investigate the structural behavior of the flap under actuation and assess the structural integrity during the trailing edge deflection. Under the internal actuation and external aerodynamic loads, both the skin options made of composite and metallic materials were able to achieve the desired deflected shape subject to the strength constraint. The dynamic behavior of the flap structure has also been investigated. The first significant natural modes of the structure were assessed and the response of the structure to a transient aerodynamic input load was obtained for different flight condition. The results showed that the proposed design represented a feasible and effective design solution for a morphing trailing edge flap.