Bi-stable mechanism for morphing wings

• Main Author: Yang, Jingjing
• Other Authors: Huang Weimin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Aeronautical engineering::Aircraft; DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Prototyping
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/65846
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Morphing wing aircraft has been a complicated topic that involves higher level of knowledge that would be difficult for us to grasp right off. An easier approach to the subject would be through the understanding of a mock-up aircraft. The objective of this project is to design a bi-stable mechanism which can control the aircraft wing switching between two stable states. The fabrication of the prototype was required to use 3D printing process. The challenging part of the design was the 4D printing of the bi-stable mechanism. The plainness of the design could be due to the simplicity of a system for a beginner’s aircraft. In addition, other studies may yield different results if conducted on a different type of mock-up aircraft. Basically this study provided me with an important first step to the brief understanding of the wing morphing theory & 4D printing, as well as getting started with 3D printing technology.