Design of a High Aspect Ratio Windtunnel Model for Transonic Gust Load Alleviation

ifasd2024 Tracking Number 147

The Clean Aviation Project called “Ultra-Performance Wing” (UP Wing) develops, matures and demonstrates key technologies and provides the architectural integration of ultra-performance wing concepts for short-medium range (SMR) aircraft with 150 to 250 passengers and 500 to 2000 nm range. One of the key technologies within the UP Wing project is “Novel Control Technologies” leading to a reduction in wing loads by applying manoeuvre and gust load alleviation technologies. To validate and compare different control methods best suited for gust load alleviation an aero-servo-elastic windtunnel test will be performed. This paper describes the design and corresponding analyses for a highly flexible wind tunnel model including several active control surfaces. The wind tunnel model will alleviate the gust loads by means of fast actuating control surfaces. One of the key challenges is to fit actuators within the available space that are both fast and able to overcome the moments generated by the control surfaces in transonic test conditions. To alleviate the loads, several control methods are investigated by different partners using a state space model created from the initial structural model and the aerodynamic panel model. To test the novel load alleviation function concepts during the wind tunnel test, a disturbance in the flow field will be generated. This is done by means of gust generator ahead of the test section. Several possibilities are investigated using Computational Fluid Dynamic analyses to see the resulting disturbance at the location of the wind tunnel model. The paper provides an overview of the past and upcoming activities related to the design of a flexible high aspect ratio wind tunnel experiment within the UP Wing Project.