Design and Characterization of Shape-Morphing Airfoil for Active Flow Control System

Abstract

The development of active flow control (AFC) devices for low Reynolds number flows has gained significant interest due to advancements in technological applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), micro aerial vehicles (MAVs), and wind turbines. Under low Reynolds flow conditions, conventional wing designs experience performance losses, which has led to the development of several AFC strategies to counteract this effect, with shape-morphing systems gaining increasing relevance over the past decade. The concept is to dynamically modify the airfoil shape at specific frequencies to induce flowfield changes that enhance aerodynamic efficiency. However, limited information is available regarding the design and implementation criteria for this type of AFC system as well as the frequency-dependent characterization of the resulting deformations and their aerodynamic consequences. Therefore, this work addresses these aspects through the development of different airfoil models with distinct structural features, their evaluation under both static and dynamic conditions, and the analysis of the overall effectiveness of the AFC system for flow control. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the developed system, revealing the expected aerodynamic phenomena as a function of actuation frequency, flow velocity, and deformation amplitude, while linking them to the structural response of the system.