Prof. Ruxandra Botez

École Technique Supérieure Montreal (Canada)

In this abstract, an adaptive morphing wing and aileron (wing-tip) system was designed and manufactured is presented, that has the aim to reduce flow drag and to delay the flow transition from laminar to turbulent, therefore the fuel consumption; the adaptive wing was equipped with piezoelectric pressure sensors. These sensors were used to measure the pressures on the wing surface, and to compare their values with their numerical values obtained using different computational fluid dynamics methodologies; in this way, an important number of optimized shapes was obtained for flow cases characterized by Reynolds and Mach numbers, and by angles of attack. A new genetic algorithm is coupled with XFoil solver results to calculate the optimized displacements of the upper flexible skin of the wing airfoil. The results of this 2D coupling are compared with the results of the 3D optimized wing displacements.

The multidisciplinary (aerodynamics, structural and controls) research methodologies and results are presented. Both projects were realized in collaboration with Canadian aerospace companies Bombardier and Thales; the second project was international and took place also in collaboration with Italian teams from University of Naples and CIRA. In both projects, wind tunnel tests took place at the IAR-NRC. The numerical results obtained in this project were validated with experimental results obtained following wind tunnel tests at the IAR-NRC.