Design and Simulation of High Deformability Morphing Wing Driven by Multi-Layer Parallel MFC Bimorphs with Adjustable Axial Pressure

To further improve the actuation performance and reliability of the chordwise variable camber wing driven by MFC bimorphs, this study proposes a morphing wing scheme using compliant rolling joint (CRJ) parallel multilayer MFC bimorphs with axial pressure controlled by twisted and coiled polymer actuator (TCPA). In this study, based on the three-dimensional homogenization parameters of MFC materials and the equivalent mechanical model of TCPA, a finite element model of multi-layer parallel TCPA-MFC pre-compressed bimorph actuators (TM-PBA) chordwise variable camber wing is established. The finite element simulation results show that the inter-layer support and tensile stiffness of CRJ can reach more than 10 times of the inter-layer shear stiffness. Under the condition of applying controllable axial pressure from 0N/0N/0N to 30N/30N/34N and maximum driving voltage (1500V/-500V), the trailing edge free displacement of the morphing wing without skin can be increased from 13.1 mm to 25.6 mm, and the blocking force can be increased from 1.70 N to 2.40 N. For the morphing wing with skin, the free displacement of the trailing edge can be increased from 8.54 mm to 16.7 mm, and the blocking force can be increased from 1.63 N to 2.25 N. Compared with morphing wing driven by multi-layer MFC-PBAs, the free displacement of the TM-PBAs wing is increased by one times, the blocking force is increased by about 30 %, and the design space is more than doubled.