Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T08:38:27.035Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Optimal wing twist distribution for roll control of MAVs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

M. R. Ahmed*
Affiliation:
Aerospace Engineering Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
M. M. ElNomrossy*
Affiliation:
Production, Energy and Automatic Control Department, French University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The aerodynamic design optimisation of a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) wing is performed to obtain the optimal anti-symmetric wing twist distribution for the roll control of the MAV’s wing instead of using conventional ailerons. This twist distribution should produce minimum induced drag and achieve a better roll response. The implementation of several anti-symmetric load distributions such as the half lemniscates and the Horten distributions is studied leading to an initial solution for the optimal distribution that could achieve better roll requirements. Multhopp’s method based on Prandtl’s classical lifting line theory is used for the determination of the spanwise load distribution required during the optimisation process. The optimisation process is based on the modified feasible directions gradient based optimisation algorithm implemented in the optimisation system, VisualDOC, given by Dr. Garret Vanderplaats. The proposed optimisation process is applied to the ‘BARQ’developed MAV which has successful flight in July 2009.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2011 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Refrences

1. Sanders, B., Eastep, F.E. and Forster, E. Aerodynamic an aeroelastic characteristics of wings with conformal control surfaces fo morphing aircraft, AIAA J Aircr, January-February 2003, 40, (1), p 9499.Google Scholar
2. Hall, J.M. Executive summary AFTI/F-111 mission adaptive wing, WRDC TR-89-2083, September 1989.Google Scholar
3. Khot, N.S., Zweber, J.V., Veley, D.E., Oz, H. and Eastep, F.E. Flexible composite wing with internal actuation for roll maneuver AIAA J Aircr, July-August 2002, 39, (4), pp 521527.Google Scholar
4. Natarajan, A., Kapania, R.K. and Inman, D.J. Aeroelastic optimisation of adaptive bumps for yaw control, AIAA J Aircr, January-February 2004, 41, (1), pp 175185.Google Scholar
5. Bourdin, P., Gatto, A. and Friswell, M.I. Aircraft control via variable cant-angle winglets, AIAA J Aircr, March-April 2008, 45, (2), pp 414423.Google Scholar
6. Ifju, P., Ettinger, S., Jenkins, D. and Martinez, L. Composite materials for micro air vehicles, SAMPE J, 2001, 37, (4), pp 713.Google Scholar
7. Abdulrahim, M., Garcia, H. and Lind, R. Flight characteristics of shaping the membrane wing of a micro air vehicle, AIAA J Aircr, January-February 2005, 42, (1), pp 131137.Google Scholar
8. Stanford, B., Abdulrahim, M., Lind, R. and Ifju, P. Investigation of membrane actuation for roll control of a micro air vehicle, AIAA J Aircr, May-June 2007, 44, (3), pp 741749.Google Scholar
9. Nickel, K. and Wohlfahrt, M. Tailless Aircraft in Theory and Practice, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Washington DC, USA, 1994.Google Scholar
10. An Independent Internal Report Design and development of a Micro Air Vehicle, Aerospace Engineering Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt, 2009.Google Scholar
11. Roskam, J. Airplane Aerodynamics and Performance, Design, Analysis and Research Corporation, Lawrence, Kansas, USA, 1997.Google Scholar
12. Anderson, J.D. Aircraft Performance and Design, WCB/McGraw-Hill, International edition, 1999.Google Scholar
13. Anderson, J.D. Introduction to Flight, McGraw-Hill, New York, USA, 1978.Google Scholar
14. Ahmed, M.R., Abdelrahman, M.M., Elnomrossy, M.M. and Elbayoumi, G.M. Aerodynamic shape optimisation of Micro Air Vehicle wing, Proceedings of 10TH International Congress of Fluid Dynamics, ICFD10-EG-3076, Ain Soukhna, Red Sea, Egypt, 2010.Google Scholar
15. Hoak, D.E. et al, USAF Stability and Control Datcom, Flight Control Division, Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Ohio, USA, 1978.Google Scholar
16. Roskam, J. Airplane Design, Part VI, Design, Analysis and Research Corporation, Lawrence, Kansas, USA, 1989.Google Scholar
17. Schilichting, H. and Truckenbradt, E. Aerodynamics of the Airplane, McGraw-Hill, New York, USA, 1979.Google Scholar
18. Pope, A. Basic Wing and Aerofoil Theory, McGraw-Hill, New York, USA, 1951.Google Scholar
19. Prandtl, L. Applications of modern hydrodynamics to aerodynamics, NACA TR-116, June 1921.Google Scholar
20. Bertin, J.J. Aerodynamics for Engineers, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle river, NJ, USA, 2002.Google Scholar
21. Anderson, J.D. Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, McGraw-Hill, New York, USA, 2001.Google Scholar
22. Philips, W.F. Lifting-Line analysis for twisted wings and wash out optimized wings, AIAA J Aircr, January-February 2004, 41, (1), pp 128136.Google Scholar
23. Philips, W.F., Alley, N.R. and Goodrich, W.D. Lifting-line analysis of roll control and variable twist, AIAA J Aircr, September-October 2004, 41, (5), pp 11691176.Google Scholar
24. Eppler, R. Aerofoil Design and Data, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 1990.Google Scholar
25. Visualdoc Version 6.2 Users and Theory Manuals, Vanderplaats Research and Development, 2009.Google Scholar
26. Vanderplaats, G.N. Numerical Optimisation Techniques for Engineering Design, Vanderplaats Research and Development, 1999.Google Scholar
27. Vanderplaats, G.N. An Efficient feasible directions algorithm for design synthesis, AIAA J, November 1984, 22, (11), pp 633640.Google Scholar
28. Military Specification, Flying Qualities of Piloted Airplanes, MIL-F-378SC, November 1980.Google Scholar
29. Etkin, B. Dynamics of Flight, Stability and Control, John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA, 1963.Google Scholar
30. Roskam, J. Airplane Flight Dynamics and Automatic Flight Control, Design, Analysis and Research Corporation, Lawrence, Kansas, USA, 2007.Google Scholar