CPC B64C 3/48 (2013.01) [B64C 3/26 (2013.01); B64C 3/52 (2013.01); C08K 7/14 (2013.01); C08L 79/08 (2013.01); B64C 2003/543 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
1. An elastic shape-morphing ultralight aerodynamic structure comprising:
a substructure portion that includes a plurality of unit cells each having N nodes, where N is a positive integer, constructed to be connected together at said nodes to form a lattice structure;
the substructure portion further comprising a plurality of interface parts constructed to interconnect the unit cells to form the lattice structure, and including at least one first interface part having a unique geometry relative to other interface parts,
the at least one first interface part forming a part of the substructure portion,
the at least one first interface part having a central portion, the central portion having two sections extending therefrom, wherein each of the two sections is a lasercut plastic section, wherein an end of each of the two sections terminate in 3D-printed interface parts that connect to one of said nodes of two different unit cells of the plurality of unit cells;
skin comprising a plurality of overlapped skin panels constructed to allow panels to slip over one-another during aeroelastic shape morphing;
wherein the lattice structure is interconnected with said interface parts to produce an aerodynamic shape, the aerodynamic shape being externally covered by the skin, and the two sections are shaped following a cross-section geometry of a leading edge of the aerodynamic shape;
wherein the aerodynamic structure includes at least one root part and one tip part, and further comprises a torque rod actuatable from the root part and connected at a single point at the tip part; and,
wherein, the aerodynamic shape is constructed from the substructure portion, the interface parts and the skin to shape-morph under both external loading and actuation of the torque rod.
|