Controller optimization in real time for a morphing wing in a Wind Tunnel

Wind Tunnel Test results of a real time optimization of a morphing wing in wind tunnel for delaying the transition towards the trailing edge are presented. A morphing rectangular finite aspect ratio wing, having a reference airfoil cross-section, was considered with its upper surface made of a flexible composite material and instrumented with Kulite pressure sensors, and two smart memory alloys actuators. Several wind tunnel tests runs for various Mach numbers, angles of attack and Reynolds numbers were performed in the 6´×9´ wind tunnel at the Institute for Aerospace Research at the National Research Council Canada (IAR/NRC). Unsteady pressure signals were recorded and used as feed back in real time control while the morphing wing was requested to reproduce various optimized airfoils by changing automatically the two actuators strokes. The new optimization method was implemented into the control software code that allowed the morphing wing to adjust its shape to an optimum configuration under the wind tunnel airflow conditions.