International Journal of Aerospace Engineering

Review Article

Status and Challenges on Design and Implementation of Camber Morphing Mechanisms

Table 2

Summary of camber morphing mechanisms.


Concept	Approach	Morphing section (deflection)	Purpose	Numerical	Investigation
Concept	Approach	Morphing section (deflection)	Purpose	Numerical	Prot.	Actuator	Reynolds number (10⁵)	WT	Speed	FTB

Structure-based camber morphing mechanisms
Vertically slitted	—	LE, TE (4%)	Morphing	✓	3D	Servos	3.9	✓	20 m/s	✓
AVCWing	—	LE, TE ()	Morphing	✓	2D	Servos	4.5 – 8.2		20 m/s	✓
Open slot TE wing	FEA- and CFD-based optimization algorithm	TE	Roll authority	✓	2D	Servos	—	✓	24 m/s	✓
Multiunit rib	—	LE, TE (6%)	Morphing	✓	2D	Servo	3.6 – 7	✓	20 m/s	✓
Corrugated structures	—	LE, TE	Morphing	✓	2D	Servos	5 – 15	✓	10 – 40 m/s
Multislotted	—	Global	STOL	✓	2D	—	6.2	✓	20 m/s
ATE box rib	—	TE ()	Aeroelasticity	✓	3D	Servo rotary	—	✓	0 – 250 m/s

Material-based camber morphing mechanisms
AM drone	—	TE (48 mm)	Control moments	—	3D	Servos	—	—	—	✓
VCCW	Material-based topology optimization	Global (6%)	Design validation	✓	3D	Linear	10.5	✓	25.72 m/s	✓
MACWing	Continuum material topology optimization	TE	Range	✓	3D	Electro-mechanical	28–33	✓	Mach 0.55 188 m/s	✓
Smart wing	—	TE	Aerodynamic performance	✓	3D	Ultrasonic PE motor	18.3	✓	Mach 0.3–0.8, 103–275 m/s	✓

Hybrid camber morphing mechanisms
Composite material	Meshless topology optimization for hyperelastic structures	LE , TE	Morphing	✓	2D	Linear stepper motor	55.2	—	40 m/s
NOVEMOR aircraft wing	PHORMA and SPHERA	LE TE (°)	Validation of design framework	✓	3D	Linear	—	✓	40 m/s
NOVEMOR droop-nose wingtip	Continuum gradient-based topology optimization with SIMP and optimization tool	LE	Droop deflection	✓	3D	Linear	—	✓	55 m/s
Multi-DOF truss	—	TE	Morphing	✓	2D	Servos	5–15	✓	25 m/s
CHIRP smart airfoil	Concurrent aerostructural optimization	Global (6%) TE ()	Roll control, drag reduction	✓	3D	Piezo-electric	1.9–5.6	✓	10–30 m/s	✓
FishBAC	—	TE	Morphing	✓	3D	Servos	2–4	✓	Mach 0.05,9 5–30 m/s
Morphing wing box	In-house code ABC and BFGS algorithm	TE	Morphing control, performance	✓	—	Electrical, SMA	14–28	✓	34–68 m/s

Other camber morphing concepts
Rigid-body	Planar shape mechanism synthesis techniques	TE	Design
Linkage	Characteristic spectrum analysis	TE	Morphing	✓
Scissor structure		TE	Morphing	✓
Reconfigurable honeycomb			Design
Pseudoflap		LE	Performance	✓	2D	Elastomeric	0.2–0.5	✓	2–5 m/s
Skin driven		TE ()	Design	✓		Artificial muscles	15
Cross-shaped honeycomb		TE	Design	✓		Telescopic tubes
Arc-like, cellular	MIST optimization	TE	Cell design			Pressurized fluid
Cellular core		Global	Investigate properties			Passive
Passive morphing airfoil		TE	Morphing	✓	2D	Dynamic pressure	1.78	✓	13.1 m/s
Morphing rib flap and aileron		TE ()	Morphing flap morphing aileron	✓	3D	Rotary		✓

Morphing section (deflection) in (%) for change in camber rate; for maximum deflection angle; and (mm) for peak-to-peak TE deflection. LE: leading edge; TE: trailing edge; Prot.: prototype; WT: wind tunnel testing; FTB: flight test bed.