Design and application of PneuNets bending actuator
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
ISSN: 0002-2667
Article publication date: 15 September 2020
Issue publication date: 28 October 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to propose an improved design of PneuNets bending actuator which aims at obtaining larger deflection with the same magnitude of pressure. The PneuNets bending actuator shows potential application in the morphing trailing edge concept.
Design/methodology/approach
Finite element method is used to investigate the characteristics of the improved design bending actuator. Multiobjective optimal design of the PneuNets bending actuator is proposed based on the Gauss process regression models.
Findings
The maximum deflection is obtained when the height of the beams is smaller than half the height of the chambers. The spacing between chambers (beam length) has little effect on the deflection. Larger spacing could be used to reduce the actuator weight.
Originality/value
With the same pressure magnitude, the deflection of the improved design bending actuator is much larger than that of the baseline configuration. PneuNets bending actuator could increase the continuity of the aerodynamic surface compared to other actuators.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant Nos. 11972059 and 11572023.
Citation
Zhao, S., Li, D. and Xiang, J. (2020), "Design and application of PneuNets bending actuator", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 92 No. 10, pp. 1539-1546. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-07-2019-0140
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited