Review

Application Status and Future Prospect of Smart Materials and Structures in Morphing Aircraft

  • LENG Jinsong ,
  • SUN Jian ,
  • LIU Yanju
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  • 1. Center for Composite Materials, School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China;
    2. Department of Astronautical Science and Mechanics, School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China

Received date: 2012-12-07

  Revised date: 2013-05-13

  Online published: 2013-06-19

Supported by

National Natural Science Foundation of China (90916011)

Abstract

Morphing aircraft can alter their shapes to achieve optimal aerodynamic performance under different flight conditions, which will greatly improve the comprehensive performance of the aircraft. Their emergence and development is one of the most important trends of future aircraft. Smart materials and structures have the properties of actuating, morphing, loading, sensing etc., which provide a new technological approach to morphing aircraft design. In this paper, research status is elaborated of smart materials and structures in adaptive structures, smart actuators, and morphing skins. Some key technologies are addressed in detail, such as deformation/loading integrative skins, lightweight high-output actuators, and adaptive structures. The future prospect of the application of smart materials and structures in morphing aircraft is also discussed.

Cite this article

LENG Jinsong , SUN Jian , LIU Yanju . Application Status and Future Prospect of Smart Materials and Structures in Morphing Aircraft[J]. ACTA AERONAUTICAET ASTRONAUTICA SINICA, 2014 , 35(1) : 29 -45 . DOI: 10.7527/S1000-6893.2013.0265

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