TY - JOUR
T1 - Bio-inspired design and performance evaluation of a novel morphing nose cone for aerospace vehicles
AU - Wu, Xiangbing
AU - Wu, Zhenyu
AU - Liang, Lulu
AU - Zhao, Jieliang
AU - Wang, Wenzhong
AU - Yan, Shaoze
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - An effective way to improve the flight capability and environmental adaptability of aerospace vehicles is to design a morphing aircraft structure, which can actively change their aerodynamic shape. During different physiological activities, the abdomens of bees are regularly deformed to improve the efficiency of movement. This was used as an inspiration for the design of a nose cone for aerospace vehicles. Based on the deformation mechanism of the bee abdomen, a bionic design of a variable configuration morphing nose cone (MNC) mechanism with high sensitivity is proposed, which can realize real-time reverse self-locking of the mechanism via auxiliary branch chains. Theoretical models for the kinematics and dynamics of the MNC mechanism under two configurations are derived, verifying that the proposed mechanism has good kinematic and dynamic characteristics. The theoretical models are validated through simulation studies. In addition, static finite element simulations are performed to verify that the auxiliary locking branch chain can significantly improve the bearing capacity of the proposed mechanism. Moreover, the force and thermal parameters of different configurations of the MNC under corresponding typical working conditions are analyzed, enabling the improvement of the aerospace vehicle aerodynamic characteristics by the morphing of its nose cone. Finally, based on the analytic hierarchy process, different drag and heat flux reduction schemes are comprehensively evaluated.
AB - An effective way to improve the flight capability and environmental adaptability of aerospace vehicles is to design a morphing aircraft structure, which can actively change their aerodynamic shape. During different physiological activities, the abdomens of bees are regularly deformed to improve the efficiency of movement. This was used as an inspiration for the design of a nose cone for aerospace vehicles. Based on the deformation mechanism of the bee abdomen, a bionic design of a variable configuration morphing nose cone (MNC) mechanism with high sensitivity is proposed, which can realize real-time reverse self-locking of the mechanism via auxiliary branch chains. Theoretical models for the kinematics and dynamics of the MNC mechanism under two configurations are derived, verifying that the proposed mechanism has good kinematic and dynamic characteristics. The theoretical models are validated through simulation studies. In addition, static finite element simulations are performed to verify that the auxiliary locking branch chain can significantly improve the bearing capacity of the proposed mechanism. Moreover, the force and thermal parameters of different configurations of the MNC under corresponding typical working conditions are analyzed, enabling the improvement of the aerospace vehicle aerodynamic characteristics by the morphing of its nose cone. Finally, based on the analytic hierarchy process, different drag and heat flux reduction schemes are comprehensively evaluated.
KW - Aerodynamic characteristics
KW - Bionic mechanism design
KW - Deformation ability
KW - Honeybee abdomen
KW - Morphing nose cone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151285802&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ast.2023.108274
DO - 10.1016/j.ast.2023.108274
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85151285802
SN - 1270-9638
VL - 137
JO - Aerospace Science and Technology
JF - Aerospace Science and Technology
M1 - 108274
ER -