Smart Morphing Wing: Optimization of Distributed Piezoelectric Actuation

Distributed actuators are inherently multifunctional because they have the potential to simultaneously contribute to the actuation and load-carrying functions of a system. These characteristics are particularly useful for increasing the performance of compliant-based morphing structures. This paper presents an investigation of the optimal structural parameters of distributed piezoelectric actuators and wing skin on a compliant morphing wing for maximizing the system's performance. A previous design obtained following a multidisciplinary optimization technique is used as the baseline individual. This investigation focuses on further extending the design space by perturbing the original optimal individual with the goal of maximizing the obtained rolling moment and flutter speed, while minimizing the wing's mass. A multidisciplinary, multi-objective optimization routine was implemented to identify the ideal actuator width and thickness active-to-substrate ratio. The results show that the performance of the baseline can be significantly improved through width and thickness distribution optimization of the bi-morph piezoelectric actuators. The maximum increase in rolling moment achieved is 27.67% along with a 4.31% mass penalty. When constraining the mass, a potential increase of 25.17% is still possible. Furthermore, flight speed is increased by 83.4%, while maintaining sufficient roll control authority.