Stress analysis of a morphing system

Morphing structures have the greatest potential to dramatically improve aircraft aerodynamic performance. They are designed to accomplish with a single device what conventional mechanisms can do with major aerodynamic penalties. In doing so, such systems have to be flexible enough to deliver the desired motion while ensuring a certain structural response under operative loads.In this chapter, focus is given to the structural design of morphing structures. The objective is to develop a generalized scheme, spanning from stress analysis to material selection, to design morphing devices that can morph one shape to another with minimum error. After a brief introduction, general design guidelines and practical tips are provided to ensure satisfactory mechanical structural performance and durability, with an overview of subcomponents and systems validation, design loads and simulation constraints. The application of this approach is demonstrated through an adaptive trailing edge device design example, including FE modeling, simulations and results assessment.