Keywords
Morphing, Gusts, Span-Wise Twisting, Aerodynamics
Abstract
Wind gust encounters create a highly unstable and unpredictable environment for air vehicles. Small aircraft are especially susceptible to gust-induced disturbances due to their limited size and weight, leading to significant fluctuations during flight. This study introduces a novel concept involving a twisting mechanism along the wingspan, allowing for span wise variations in pitch. Using a towing tank and a gust generator apparatus, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism. Force data and flow field data obtained from Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) provide insights into the vortex mechanisms at play. A Modified Discrete Vortex Method using the leading-edge separation parameter is developed and used to develop optimized twisting kinematics.
Completion Date
2025
Semester
Spring
Committee Chair
Bhattacharya, Samik
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Identifier
DP0029380
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
ruiz, alex, "Mitigation Of Transverse Gusts On Morphing Wings Via Span-Wise Twisting" (2025). Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024. 211.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2024/211