Macro-Fiber Composite Actuators for Flow Control of a Variable Camber Airfoil

作者：Bilgen Onur^*; de Marqui Junior Carlos; Kocher**erger Kevin B; Inman Daniel J

来源：Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2011, 22(1): 81-91.

DOI：10.1177/1045389X10392613

• flow control
• variable camber airfoil
• low Reynolds number
• unimorph actuator
• piezocomposites
• MFC

This research employs solid-state actuators for delay of flow separation seen in airfoils at low Reynolds numbers. The flow control technique investigated here is aimed for a variable camber airfoil that employs two active surfaces and a single four-bar (box) mechanism as the internal structure. To reduce separation, periodic excitation to the flow around the leading edge of the airfoil is induced by a total of nine piezocomposite actuated clamped-free unimorph benders distributed in the spanwise direction. An electromechanical model is employed to design an actuator capable of high deformations at the desired frequency for lift improvement at post-stall angles. The optimum spanwise distribution of excitation for increasing lift coefficient is identified experimentally in the wind tunnel. A 3D (non-uniform) excitation distribution achieved higher lift enhancement in the post-stall region with lower power consumption when compared to the 2D (uniform) excitation distribution. A lift coefficient increase of 18.4% is achieved with the identified non-uniform excitation mode at the bender resonance frequency of 125 Hz, the flow velocity of 5 m/s and at the reduced frequency of 3.78. The maximum lift (Clmax) is increased 5.2% from the baseline. The total power consumption of the flow control technique is 639 mW(RMS).

• 出版日期2011-1
• 单位美国弗吉尼亚理工大学(Virginia Tech)