Rapid Parametric CAx Tools for Modelling Morphing Wings of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs)

This paper shows a series of tools that help in the research of morphing micro air vehicles (MAVs). These tools are aimed at generating parametric CAD models of wings in a few seconds that can be used in aerodynamic studies, either via CFD directly using the model obtained or via wind tunnel through rapid prototyping with 3D printers. It also facilitates the analysis of morphing wings by allowing for the continuous parametric deformation of the airfoils and the wing geometry. In addition, one of the tools greatly simplifies the purely experimental design of this type of vehicle, allowing the transfer of experimental measurements to the computer, generating virtual models with the same deformation as the physical model. This software has two fundamental parts. The first one is the parameterization of the airfoils, for which the CST (Class-Shape Transformation) method will be used. CST coefficients can be modified according to the actuator variable that changes the wing geometry. The second part is the generation of a three-dimensional parametric model of the wing. We used OpenCASCADE technology in its Python version called PythonOCC, which enables the generation of geometries with good surface quality for typical and non-standard wing shapes. Finally, the use of this software for the study of a morphing aircraft will be shown, as well as improvements that could be incorporated in the future to increase its capabilities for the design and analysis of MAVs.

Automated summary

This paper presents a series of tools for the research of morphing micro air vehicles (MAVs). These tools aim to generate parametric CAD models of wings quickly for use in aerodynamic studies, either through direct CFD analysis or wind tunnel testing using 3D printers. The tools also allow for the analysis of morphing wings by enabling continuous parametric deformation of airfoils and wing geometry. One of the tools simplifies the experimental design by transferring experimental measurements to generate virtual models with the same deformation as the physical model. The software consists of two parts: the parameterization of airfoils using the CST (Class-Shape Transformation) method, and the generation of three-dimensional parametric models of wings using PythonOCC. The paper demonstrates the software's application in studying morphing aircraft and suggests potential improvements for MAV design and analysis.