1.School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing100083, China
2.AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, Shenyang110035, China
3.Key Laboratory of Digital Twin for Aircraft Structural Strength, Liaoning Province, Shenyang110035, China
Citations
ZHANG Yinxuan, MENG Fanxing, XU Zhenyong. Optimization design and experimental study on flexible skin structure of morphing foldable wing[J]. Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology, 2026, 69(5): 25010165.
Abstract
Flexible skin is one of the key technologies for morphing structures in aircraft, requiring not only the ability to undergo large deformations but also the capability to carry significant normal aerodynamic loads. A metal skeleton-enhanced rubber composite flexible skin structure is an effective solution, where the skeleton reinforcement support structure must possess both large deformation and normal load-bearing characteristics. This paper focuses on U-shaped honeycomb skeleton structures, establishing theoretical models for the relationship between the tensile deformation of the skeleton structure and the maximum strain, as well as the deflection of the structure under normal force. By combining the SLSQP optimization algorithm, the geometric dimensions of the skeleton are optimized based on the performance requirements of the skin under specific operating conditions, using out-of-plane deflection as the boundary condition and minimum strain as the optimization objective. The optimization process yielded the optimal geometric dimensions that meet the requirements for deformation and load-bearing capacity. Results show that, regardless of the initial values of the optimization model, the optimization process consistently converges to the same optimal solution, validating the feasibility and effectiveness of the size parameter optimization of U-shaped honeycomb skeleton structures.
变体飞行器能够根据不同的飞行状态调整外形,以提升气动性能[ 陆宇平, 何真, 吕毅, 等. 变体飞行器技术[J]. 航空制造技术, 2008, 51(22): 26-29.LU Yuping, HE Zhen, LÜ Yi, et al. Morphing aircraft technology[J]. Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology, 2008, 51(22): 26-29. 1]。其中,能够平滑连续变形的柔性机翼是实现变体的主要形式。与普通固定翼仅针对在特定工况下优化飞行性能不同,柔性机翼可以通过改变气动外形,确保不同工况下的气动效率和机动性能达到最佳。其优势[ THILL C, ETCHES J, BOND I, et al. Morphing skins[J]. The Aeronautical Journal, 2008, 112(1129): 117-139. 2]包括:(1)提升飞行性能,扩大飞行包线;(2)以柔性机翼替代传统的飞行控制面,增强隐身性;(3)减小飞行阻力,增加航程;(4)减少振动和噪声,提高飞行舒适度与安全性。
柔性蒙皮是变体飞行器的关键技术之一,用于实现变体机翼大变形,同时提供足够的刚度和强度以承受局部气动载荷。目前柔性蒙皮通常分为两类:(1)基于材料弹性的柔性蒙皮;(2)基于结构的柔性蒙皮[ 尹维龙, 石庆华. 变体飞行器蒙皮材料与结构研究综述[J]. 航空制造技术, 2017, 60(17): 24-29.YIN Weilong, SHI Qinghua. Review of material and structure for morphing aircraft skin[J]. Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology, 2017, 60(17): 24-29. 3]。基于结构的柔性蒙皮可以根据具体需求设计,满足大变形的同时具备相应的承载能力,因此成为当前研究的重点。此类蒙皮主要通过在蒙皮中布置波纹、蜂窝等骨架结构实现大变形与承载能力。
Yokozeki等[ YOKOZEKI T, TAKEDA S I, OGASAWARA T, et al. Mechanical properties of corrugated composites for candidate materials of flexible wing structures[J]. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2006, 37(10): 1578-1586. 4]最早将波纹结构用于柔性蒙皮中,此类蒙皮不仅能够承受较大的气动载荷,还可以沿波纹方向发生较大变形。Olympio等[ OLYMPIO K R, GANDHI F. Flexible skins for morphing aircraft using cellular honeycomb cores[J]. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2010, 21(17): 1719-1735. 5]提出了一种以蜂窝骨架为基底、表面铺设硅胶材料的骨架增强柔性蒙皮。随后,学者们又提出了多凹角蜂窝[ LIN H B, LIU H T. Mechanical properties and band gap characteristics of flexible skin based on multi-concave angle honeycomb[J]. Materials Today Communications, 2023, 35: 106113. 6]、环形蜂窝[ FENG N, TIE Y H, WANG S B, et al. Mechanical performance of 3D-printing annular honeycomb with tailorable Poisson’s ratio[J]. Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures, 2023, 30(18): 3781-3789. 7]、鱼形蜂窝[ NAGHAVI ZADEH M, DAYYANI I, YASAEE M. Fish cells, a new zero Poisson’s ratio metamaterial: Part Ⅰ: Design and experiment[J]. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2020, 31(13): 1617-1637. ZADEH M N, DAYYANI I, YASAEE M. Fish cells, a new zero Poisson’s ratio metamaterial: Part Ⅱ: Elastic properties[J]. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2020, 31(19): 2196-2210. 8-9]等各类骨架结构。刘卫东[ 刘卫东. 变形机翼关键技术的研究[D]. 南京: 南京航空航天大学, 2014.LIU Weidong. Research on key technology of morphing wing[D]. Nanjing: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2014. 10]基于统一的结构参数,对比了U型、V型、折线型和余弦型4种蜂窝结构的面内横向等效弹性模量,并研究了结构参数对蜂窝结构面内横向伸缩性能与法向承载能力的影响。在相同结构参数下,面内伸缩能力从强到弱排列为:折线形、U型、余弦型、V型;法向承载能力从强到弱排列为:V型、余弦型、U型、折线型。随后,王亚豪[ 王亚豪. 基于超弹形状记忆合金的柔性蒙皮设计和实验验证[D]. 大连: 大连理工大学, 2021.WANG Yahao. Design and Experimental verification of flexible skin based on super-elastic SMA[D]. Dalian: Dalian University of Technology, 2021. 11]将U型蜂窝结构与形状记忆合金(SMA)材料结合,提出了一种具有大变形能力的零泊松比柔性蒙皮芯层结构,并推导了在线弹性小变形情况下U型蜂窝结构的拉力与位移关系。
同时,为了进一步提升蒙皮的性能,研究者采用优化方法对蒙皮骨架结构的构型、尺寸和材料等参数进行优化设计,这也是相关研究的重点[ BUBERT E A, WOODS B K S, LEE K, et al. Design and fabrication of a passive 1D morphing aircraft skin[J]. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2010, 21(17): 1699-1717. MURUGAN S, SAAVEDRA FLORES E I, ADHIKARI S, et al. Optimal design of variable fiber spacing composites for morphing aircraft skins[J]. Composite Structures, 2012, 94(5): 1626-1633. 12-13]。Olympio等[ OLYMPIO K R, GANDHI F. Flexible skins for morphing aircraft using cellular honeycomb cores[J]. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2010, 21(17): 1719-1735. 5]对其蜂窝骨架的尺寸参数和材料进行了优化,以满足变体机翼所需的面内变形能力,并提出了一种针对支撑结构的多目标优化算法[ OLYMPIO K, GANDHI F. Skin designs using multi-objective topology optimization[C]//49th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference <br> 16th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference. Schaumburg: AIAA, 2008: AIAA2008-1793. 14]。刘浩等[ 刘浩, 曹佳薇, 高仁璟, 等. 基于拓扑优化的新型蜂窝结构设计[J]. 计算力学学报, 2023, 40(4): 514-521.LIU Hao, CAO Jiawei, GAO Renjing, et al. New honeycomb structure design based on topology optimization[J]. Chinese Journal of Computational Mechanics, 2023, 40(4): 514-521. 15]基于拓扑优化方法,设计了一种新型蜂窝结构。郭瑜超等[ 郭瑜超, 聂小华, 宋晨,等. 基于负泊松比蜂窝的复合式柔性蒙皮优化技术[J/OL]. 复合材料学报, 1-12[2025-07-11]. https://doi.org/10.13801/j.cnki.fhclxb.20241012.003.GUO Y C, NIE X H, SONG C. Composite flexible skin optimization technology based on negative Poisson’s ratio honeycomb[J/OL]. Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica, 1-12[2025-07-11]. https://doi.org/10.13801/j.cnki.fhclxb.20241012.003. 16]基于响应面法,建立了骨架几何参数与结构性能关系的近似模型,并使用加权系数法将面内应变、泊松比、面外挠度和结构质量等多目标优化转化为单目标优化,结合遗传算法进行优化,最终实现了面内变形能力的提升,面外承载能力的增强,结构质量的减轻以及泊松比的降低。
Fig.1 Flexible skin structure reinforced by U-shaped honeycomb framework for foldable wings
在承受面外法向气动载荷时,蒙皮通过U型蜂窝骨架将载荷传递至蒙皮支撑结构,并保证其在面内方向具有较大的变形能力,以满足折叠过程中的柔性蒙皮变形要求。前期研究表明[ 刘卫东. 变形机翼关键技术的研究[D]. 南京: 南京航空航天大学, 2014.LIU Weidong. Research on key technology of morphing wing[D]. Nanjing: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2014. 10],U型蜂窝骨架的承载能力与大变形能力之间存在矛盾:即承载能力的增强通常会导致大变形能力的减弱,反之亦然。作为决定柔性蒙皮整体性能的关键结构,设计U型蜂窝骨架时,如何在保障特定气动载荷承载能力的同时满足面内变形要求,成为研究中的重要问题。因此,本文将建立U型蜂窝骨架的力学本构模型,并基于此模型对其几何尺寸进行优化设计,以满足柔性蒙皮特定应用场景的需求。
由文献[ 王亚豪. 基于超弹形状记忆合金的柔性蒙皮设计和实验验证[D]. 大连: 大连理工大学, 2021.WANG Yahao. Design and Experimental verification of flexible skin based on super-elastic SMA[D]. Dalian: Dalian University of Technology, 2021. 11]可知,线弹性小变形情况下拉力Fy与位移dy的关系为
曲梁在不考虑翘曲,受集中力载荷的情况下,坐标s处的转角ϕs、ϕξ与挠度uη的计算公式[ 朱莉莉, 王广欣. 空间曲线梁的力学分析与研究[M]. 北京: 北京理工大学出版社, 2020.ZHU Lili, WANG Guangxin. Mechanical analysis and research of spaciall curved beams[M]. Beijing: Beijing Institute of Technology Press, 2020. 18]为
THILLC, ETCHESJ, BONDI, et al. Morphing skins[J]. The Aeronautical Journal, 2008, 112(1129): 117-139.
[3]
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YOKOZEKIT, TAKEDAS I, OGASAWARAT, et al. Mechanical properties of corrugated composites for candidate materials of flexible wing structures[J]. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2006, 37(10): 1578-1586.
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OLYMPIOK R, GANDHIF. Flexible skins for morphing aircraft using cellular honeycomb cores[J]. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2010, 21(17): 1719-1735.
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LINH B, LIUH T. Mechanical properties and band gap characteristics of flexible skin based on multi-concave angle honeycomb[J]. Materials Today Communications, 2023, 35: 106113.
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FENGN, TIEY H, WANGS B, et al. Mechanical performance of 3D-printing annular honeycomb with tailorable Poisson’s ratio[J]. Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures, 2023, 30(18): 3781-3789.
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ZADEHM N, DAYYANII, YASAEEM. Fish cells, a new zero Poisson’s ratio metamaterial: Part Ⅱ: Elastic properties[J]. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 2020, 31(19): 2196-2210.
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