Measurement of Aerodynamic Loads on a Passive Morphing Wing under Unsteady Motion

An experimental setup is designed to provide unsteady linear and rotational motion to a wing and measure aerodynamic loading. The focus of this investigation is a passive morphing wing that features a bi-stable trailing edge capable of snapping through instabilities to two different configurations in response to perceived pressure fields. The objectives of the study are three-fold: (i) to develop and characterize the experimental setup for future research in unsteady aerodynamics, (ii) to determine the aerodynamic loading experienced by the wing and capture the dynamic loading during the snap-through process, and (iii) to evaluate the performance of the morphing wing under varied conditions to enable improved iterations of the passive morphing design.