Design and Wind Tunnel Experimental Study of a Variable Camber Wing with Mid-chord Thickness Variation
摘要
A variable-camber wing is an aerodynamic structure capable of adjusting its leading edge, trailing edge, and mid-camber curvature to adapt to varying flight conditions, thereby enhancing aerodynamic performance. To address the high-load challenges in practical applications of variable-camber wings, this paper proposes a structural design featuring thickness-adjustable mid-chord components with enhanced load-bearing capacity. The system integrates linear servo actuators with inherent power-off self-locking functionality, combined with hinge-linkage mechanisms and flexible 3D-printed structural elements, to achieve mid-chord thickness variation. This coordinated deformation mechanism enables camber adjustment while ensuring aerodynamic surface continuity. Furthermore, a dedicated clamping mechanism was developed for wind tunnel testing of this variable-camber wing configuration. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in lift-to-drag ratio: Under wind speeds of 15 m/s, 30 m/s, and 50 m/s, the upper-surface deformation of the mid-wing section achieves lift-to-drag ratio enhancements of 49.48%, 10.67%, and 2.58%, respectively, compared to the non-deformed configuration. Corresponding lower-surface deformation yields improvements of 27.57%, 9.51%, and 4.27% under identical conditions. This structural design provides valuable engineering references for addressing implementation challenges in variable-camber aircraft configurations.