CRG Partner in Morphing Wing Structures Program
CRG is working
with other partners in developing morphing aircraft technology.
The goal is to develop and demonstrate viable composite materials
and process technology to support multiple Air Force morphing
structural applications. We intend to develop a prototype
of a form fit,  improved
function wing ready for simple integration and operational
testing. In the process, we are applying a unique suite of
smart materials technologies, such as CRG’s shape memory
polymers (Veriflex®),
dynamic composites (Veritex™),
and dynamic syntactic foams (Verilyte™).
We will also employ smart materials, engineering design, process
development, fabrication, and other supporting technologies
to meet goals and requirements.
This program will
benefit all three partners: the U.S. Air Force, a major aerospace
company and CRG. The program will develop the technology necessary
to construct deployable morphing aircraft and other innovative
adaptive structure concepts critical to the Air Force in the
future. This technology will also increase the aerospace company’s
ability to extend the system goals for multiple DoD applications
in the near and far term. In addition to enhancing their system
platform capabilities, this development will improve performance
for other current or future applications. Finally, the development
of this technology from prototype to integration and manufacturing
will demonstrate the capabilities CRG offers as a research
and development partner and materials innovator.
During the first year, design and engineering
efforts will focus on integrating new adaptive materials technologies
into standard composite structures. CRG will develop a preliminary
prototype design of an adaptive wing structure, develop a
processing approach for fabrication, validate previously undemonstrated
fabrication processes, and fabricate a working segment of
a morphing wing to prove feasibility. Design considerations
for the adaptive wing will include wing mass, primary structure,
leading and trailing edges, airfoil balance, seamless skin,
internal structure, actuation mechanisms, and environmental
stability. Following the first year, CRG will demonstrate
the concept by fabricating a full-sized working prototype
ready for integration.
Other possible smart materials technologies
for integration by our team include shape memory alloys, piezoelectric
actuators, magneto-rheological fluids and solids, self-healing
polymers and coatings.
CRG’s smart structures engineering team
is focused on integrating multiple smart material technologies
with conventional actuation mechanisms and on developing a
variety of smart adaptive or morphing structures. We are working
on demonstrating realistic morphing structure concepts for
near-term applications. The first-year efforts of this and
other program efforts will help CRG better understand TRL
levels, define our near-term morphing capabilities, help identify
the next enabling materials technologies necessary to round
out structural morphing composites capabilities, and predict
mid- and far-term morphing capabilities.
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