Topology-Optimized Design and Testing of a Pressure-Driven Morphing-Aerofoil Trailing-Edge Structure

The combination of structural material and fluid pressure may result in a morphing structure with integrated shape-change and stiffness functions. In a cellular arrangement, distributed actuation, high control fidelity and a multitude of morphing shapes can also be achieved. The moving isosurface threshold topology optimization method was used to design the cell shapes, and the optimality of the method is shown via use of the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions. This optimization method was applied to the case of a morphing NACA 0012 trailing edge. The optimal shapes were found to be structures featuring arches that enclose the pressurized fluid and elongate along the cell edges, resulting in overall bending or elongation for various architecture networks. An experimental model based on the optimization results was fabricated for demonstrative purposes and −3.02/+2.94 deg deflection was achieved for this 15 cell parallel-type morphing trailing-edge prototype.