Aeroelastic analysis of an adaptive trailing edge with a smart elastic skin

Nowadays, the design choices of the new generation aircraft are moving towards the research and development of innovative technologies, aimed at improving performance as well as to minimize the environmental impact. In the current “greening” context, the morphing structures represent a very attractive answer to such requirements: both aerodynamic and structural advantages are ensured in several flight conditions, safeguarding the fuel consumption at the same time. An aeronautical intelligent system is therefore the outcome of combining complex smart materials and structures, assuring the best functionality level in the flight envelope. The Adaptive Trailing Edge Device (ATED) is a sub-project inside SARISTU (Smart Intelligent Aircraft Structures), an L2 level project of the 7th EU Framework programme coordinated by Airbus, aimed at developing technologies for realizing a morphing wing extremity addressed to improve the general aircraft performance and to reduce the fuel burning up to 5%. This specific study, divided into design, manufacturing and testing phases, involved universities, research centers and leading industries of the European consortium. The paper deals with the aeroelastic impact assessment of a full-scale morphing wing trailing edge on a Large Aeroplanes category aircraft. The FE (Finite Element) model of the technology demonstrator, located in the aileron region and manufactured within the project, was referenced to for the extrapolation of the structural properties of the whole adaptive trailing edge device placed in its actual location in the outer wing. The input FE models were processed within MSC-Nastran® environment to estimate stiffness and inertial distributions suitable to construct the aeroelastic stick-beam mock-up of the reference structure. Afterwards, a flutter analysis in simulated operative condition, have been carried out by means of Sandy®, an in-house code, according to meet the safety requirements imposed by the applicable aviation regulations (paragraph 25.629, parts (a) and (b)-(1)).